HR0712 97TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0712 LRB097 17688 KXB 62901 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to congratulate Dr. Sheila Harrison-Williams on being a co-recipient of the National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) Joseph E. Hill "Superintendent of the Year" Award; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Sheila Harrison-Williams was born in Clarksdale, Mississippi and raised on the Westside of Chicago; she is currently Superintendent of Hazel Crest School District in Hazel Crest; and

WHEREAS, She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northeastern Illinois University, majoring in Special Education and Elementary Education; she earned a Master of Arts degree from Northeastern in Educational Administration; she earned a Degree of Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership from Northern Illinois University; she completed post-graduate work at Northeastern and Northern Illinois Universities, achieving an Early Childhood Education Certificate from Northeastern and Chief School Business Official Certification from Northern; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Harrison-Williams serves on the Executive Committee of the Superintendents Commission for the Study of Demographics and Diversity, and collaborates with school district leaders to provide professional development for teachers and administrators designed to transform the paradigm of educating children; in her role as Past-President of the Commission, she collaborates with other school district leaders to share financial resources and expertise; this collaboration provides for exchange of proven pedagogical strategies designed to raise the achievement of underprivileged students; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Harrison-Williams serves as an At-Large Governing Board Member of the Illinois Association of School Administrators, representing minority superintendents of the State of Illinois; she sits on a number of boards that influence public policy, such as the South Cooperative Organization for Public Education (SCOPE); and

WHEREAS, Dr. Harrison-Williams is a life member of the National Alliance of Black School Educators and currently serves as the Secretary for the Superintendents Commission; in addition, along with her partner, Dr. Constance Collins, she has served as one of the conveners of the annual NABSE "Aspiring Superintendents" one-day workshop for the past 8 years; this presentation addresses the barriers women and minorities face in seeking the superintendency, identifies strategies to overcome the barriers, with a special emphasis on the behaviors necessary to maintain the position of Superintendent; and

WHEREAS, Dr. Harrison-Williams has received a number of awards and recognition as an educational leader, the most recent being the co-recipient of the NABSE Joseph E. Hill "Superintendent of the Year" Award; other awards include the 2010 Top Ladies of Distinction "Crown Jewel" Award, the Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association 2010 "Public Ambassador of the Year" Award, and the 2009 NABSE "Phenomenal Women" Award; and

WHEREAS, She received the NABSE Joseph E. Hill "Superintendent of the Year" Award on January 26, 2012; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-SEVENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Dr. Sheila Harrison-Williams on her award and wish her the best in her continuing career; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Dr. Sheila Harrison-Williams as a symbol of our respect and esteem.