Full Text of HR0744 99th General Assembly
HR0744 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY |
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| 1 | | HOUSE RESOLUTION
| 2 | | WHEREAS, Martin J. "Mike" and Patricia Blunt Koldyke have | 3 | | made it their life-long mission to
raise the quality of | 4 | | teaching and learning in Chicago; and
| 5 | | WHEREAS, After graduating from Purdue University and | 6 | | serving as a First Lieutenant in the U.S.
Army Counter | 7 | | Intelligence Corps, Mike Koldyke founded the Frontenac | 8 | | Company, a Chicago-based
private equity firm, in 1971, and | 9 | | served as its Chairman until his retirement; and
| 10 | | WHEREAS, A graduate of Vassar College, Pat Koldyke began | 11 | | her career at Harper's Bazaar Magazine in
New York before | 12 | | moving to Chicago with her husband in 1961; and
| 13 | | WHEREAS, The Koldykes were inspired while watching the | 14 | | Academy Awards on TV in the mid-80s
to create a similar awards | 15 | | program for teachers to recognize excellence in teaching and | 16 | | the
contributions of teachers in building a stronger, | 17 | | better-educated society; and | 18 | | WHEREAS, Every year since 1986, The Golden Apple Foundation | 19 | | has chosen 10 outstanding
teachers to receive this prestigious | 20 | | award; and |
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| 1 | | WHEREAS, Recipients of the Golden Apple Award become | 2 | | lifetime members of the Golden Apple Academy of
Educators, | 3 | | which conceives, develops, and supports programs for teachers | 4 | | to make them more
effective in the classroom; and | 5 | | WHEREAS, For 30 years, Golden Apple has recognized gifted | 6 | | teachers and provided them with
the preparation and | 7 | | professional development they need for immediate and lasting | 8 | | success in
the classroom, with a special emphasis on | 9 | | disadvantaged schools; and | 10 | | WHEREAS, The Golden Apple Scholars program has prepared | 11 | | more than 1,000 teachers
who are raising student achievement in | 12 | | some of Illinois' most challenging teaching
environments; and | 13 | | WHEREAS, The exceptional leadership and public service | 14 | | provided by the Koldykes continues to
transform teaching and | 15 | | learning in the Chicago region and beyond, particularly for
| 16 | | underprivileged students; and | 17 | | WHEREAS, Mike Koldyke serves as Chairman Emeritus of the | 18 | | Golden Apple Foundation, and he
and Pat continue to serve on | 19 | | the board of the Golden Apple Foundation; and | 20 | | WHEREAS, In 1992, Mike Koldyke was appointed by both Mayor | 21 | | Richard M. Daley and Governor Jim Edgar
as Chair of the Chicago |
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| 1 | | School Finance Authority, and by President Clinton to serve on | 2 | | the
President's Advisory Commission on Educational Excellence | 3 | | for Hispanic Americans; and | 4 | | WHEREAS, After reading about Native Americans being passed | 5 | | over by college recruiters, Mike
Koldyke was instrumental in | 6 | | developing a program at the New Mexico Highlands University to | 7 | | improve
the recruitment and mentoring of Native Americans; and | 8 | | WHEREAS, Since 2005, the Koldykes
have sponsored Chicago | 9 | | Public School children, many of whom have never
been out of | 10 | | Chicago, for a trip to Crow Canyon Archaeological Center in | 11 | | Colorado and a cowboy
experience at their ranch; and
| 12 | | WHEREAS, In 1986, the Koldykes established the Chicago | 13 | | Council on Global Affairs' Patricia Blunt
Koldyke Fellowship in | 14 | | Social Entrepreneurship to recognize emerging leaders who are
| 15 | | transforming society through innovative solutions to pressing | 16 | | global challenges; and
| 17 | | WHEREAS, Pat Koldyke has also served on the boards of | 18 | | Children's Memorial Hospital, the Erikson
Institute, the | 19 | | Northwestern Memorial Foundation, the Chicago Council on | 20 | | Global Affairs, the
Brain Research Foundation, and the Persons | 21 | | with Disabilities Fund at the Chicago Community
Trust; Mike | 22 | | Koldyke has served on the boards of After School Matters, |
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| 1 | | Golden Apple Foundation of
New Mexico, WTTW Communications, | 2 | | Inc., Chicago Public Education Fund, Big Shoulders Fund,
The | 3 | | Economic Club of Chicago, and others; he has been a trustee of | 4 | | Northwestern University,
Ravinia, The Brookings Institution, | 5 | | Choate Rosemary Hall, Joffrey Ballet, and Common Cause; | 6 | | therefore, be it
| 7 | | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE | 8 | | NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | 9 | | Pat and Mike Koldyke, on the 30th Anniversary of the Golden | 10 | | Apple Foundation, are recognized for providing the passion, | 11 | | leadership, and vision of the Golden Apple Foundation as one | 12 | | dedicated to transforming teaching and learning in the Chicago | 13 | | region and throughout all of Illinois; and be it further | 14 | | RESOLVED, That Pat and Mike Koldyke are commended for | 15 | | developing the Golden Apple
Foundation's legacy of focus on | 16 | | preparing resilient and successful new teachers for the
| 17 | | profession of education through the Golden Apple Scholars of | 18 | | Illinois Program; and be it further | 19 | | RESOLVED, That Pat and Mike Koldyke are commended for their | 20 | | inspired belief that
excellent teachers are critical to a | 21 | | student's success, especially with regard to students from
| 22 | | schools of need; and be it further |
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| 1 | | RESOLVED, That Pat and Mike Koldyke are recognized for | 2 | | their bold commitment to education in
the State of Illinois, | 3 | | through the new growth trajectory of the Golden Apple | 4 | | Foundation, which
aspires to double the annual cohort of Golden | 5 | | Apple Scholars in Illinois by 2018; and be it
further
| 6 | | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | 7 | | presented to Pat and Mike Koldyke as an
expression of our | 8 | | esteem and respect.
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