Bill Text: IL HR0295 | 2017-2018 | 100th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Congratulates Miriam "Mimi" Cooper on her retirement from the Board of Education of Township High School District 214, and recognizes her dedication as the longest-serving Board member in the District's history.

Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1)

Status: (Passed) 2017-04-24 - Resolution Adopted [HR0295 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2017-HR0295-Introduced.html

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HOUSE RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of
Representatives are pleased to recognize Miriam "Mimi" Cooper
on her retirement from the Township High School District 214
Board of Education, and her 28 years of service as the
longest-tenured Board member in District history; and
WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper of Arlington Heights was first
elected to the Board of Education in 1989 and has guided the
District during six years as President and four years as
Vice-President, serving more than 81,000 District 214
graduates during her time on the Board; and
WHEREAS, During Miriam Cooper's tenure, all six
comprehensive high schools have been recognized as Blue Ribbon
Schools by the United States Department of Education and have
continued to receive State and national academic recognition;
and
WHEREAS, District 214 high schools have been ranked among
the top 35 open-enrollment schools in Illinois by U.S. News and
World Report and are considered among the State's most
challenging schools by The Washington Post; and
WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper has helped guide District 214

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through nearly three decades of student-centered learning,
developing innovative new curricula, improving facilities,
repurposing spaces for the purpose of better instruction,
enhancing arts and athletic spaces, and constantly improving in
line with changing demographics; and
WHEREAS, The White House has recognized District 214 for
expanding workplace learning experiences, career exploration
for all students, and for efforts to embed computer coding
literacy within its math curriculum; and
WHEREAS, In partnership with the ASSA and the School
Superintendents Association, District 214 launched "Redefining
Ready!" to change the national dialogue regarding college and
career readiness and to influence the development of the Every
Student Succeeds Act accountability plans; and
WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper has made strong fiscal
responsibility a hallmark of her time on the Board; it has been
marked by balanced operating budgets and strong finances; even
as the District has grown in population she has maintained the
highest level of excellence; and
WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper has been a longtime advocate of
Community Education, the Community Education Foundation, and
now the District 214 Education Foundation, serving as a board

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member for each organization and actively working to raise
corporate and private funding for continued support of
education; and
WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper helped establish the Catherine M.
Lee Women's and Children's Center, which helps low-income,
female immigrants in District 214 to gain basic skills in
speaking, listening, reading, and writing English to increase
readiness skills for gaining employment while their children
attend early childhood education classes; and
WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper has worked professionally in family
law matters; she is held in high regard by her peers and has
been recognized multiple times as an Illinois top attorney as a
"Super Lawyer"; she has held leadership positions in the
Northwest Suburban Bar Association and completed mediation
training to become a Collaborative Law Fellow; and
WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper has used her legal expertise to help
shape and enhance a law and equity career pathway in District
214 and has supported student education through the mock trial
experience; and
WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper's tireless advocacy for public
education, selfless service to, and enthusiastic support of
District 214 and its programs serves as an outstanding and

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inspirational example to thousands of students, their parents,
and their educators; and
WHEREAS, Miriam Cooper's retirement from the District 214
Board of Education becomes effective April 27, 2017; therefore,
be it
RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE
HUNDREDTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
congratulate Miriam "Mimi" Cooper on her retirement from the
Board of Education of Township High School District 214, and we
recognize her dedication as the longest-serving Board member in
the District's history; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
presented to Miriam Cooper as an expression of our esteem and
respect.