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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

  
 
2    WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of 
3Representatives are pleased to congratulate Shelly Marks of 
4Homewood School District 153 on receiving the 2011 Thomas Lay 
5Burroughs Award; and
  
 
6    WHEREAS, The Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) 
7selected Shelly Marks of Homewood School District 153 as the 
82011 recipient of the Thomas Lay Burroughs Award, which 
9annually honors an outstanding school board president in 
10Illinois; she has served 9 years as president of the Homewood 
11153 Board of Education and 19 years total on the board; and
  
 
12    WHEREAS, Homewood District 153 has faced increased 
13financial stresses in recent years; Shelly Marks and the school 
14board are credited with prioritizing assets for high quality 
15staff and educational interventions, which have made an impact 
16on student learning; on the 2011 ISATs, 90% of students in the 
17district met or exceeded State standards in math and 86% of 
18students met or exceeded the standards in reading, despite 
19spending less per pupil than the State average; and
  
 
20    WHEREAS, Homewood District 153 has also managed to cut its 
21achievement gap in half since 2006; Shelly Marks has been 
22specifically applauded for advocating early childhood 
 
 
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1education as a means to level the educational playing field for 
2every student; she is also credited with implementing a 
3successful district-wide diversity program called Homewood 
4SEED (Seeking Educational Equity and Diversity); and

  
 
5    WHEREAS, The Illinois State Board of Education created the 
6award for school board presidents in 1991 to honor Thomas Lay 
7Burroughs, who served as chairman of the State Board of 
8Education and the Board of Education for the Collinsville 
9School District; therefore, be it
  
 
10    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE 
11NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that 
12we congratulate Shelly Marks on receiving this award and wish 
13her continued success in her future endeavors; and be it 
14further
  
 
15    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be 
16presented to Shelly Marks as a symbol of our respect and 
17esteem.