RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, The Golden Apple Foundation has conferred its prestigious 2016 Golden Apple Award for Excellence in Teaching on three high school teachers and one elementary school principal in recognition of their outstanding achievements as educators; and
WHEREAS, A not-for-profit organization based in Chicago, the Golden Apple Foundation advances the profession of teaching by recognizing excellent educators; by recruiting and preparing talented high school students and college graduates to be teachers through innovative training programs; and by improving the skills of current teachers through professional development; and
WHEREAS, Dedicated to the proposition that "all children deserve excellent teachers," the Golden Apple Foundation has recognized exceptional teachers in the Chicago area each year since 1986; and
WHEREAS, Chosen through a rigorous process by a volunteer committee of distinguished Chicago-area educators, this year's recipients of the Golden Apple Award were selected from over 400 nominees; they are indeed worthy of recognition by their peers; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago Public School recipients of the 2016 Golden Apple Award are Mr. Dana Butler, Principal, Irma C. Ruiz Elementary School; Mr. Dennis Kass, Sociology Teacher, Infinity Math, Science, & Technology High School; Mr. Todd Katz, Honors Biology and Advanced Placement Environmental Science Teacher, Whitney M. Young Magnet High School; and Mr. Leo Park, Beginning, Intermediate, Concert & Chamber Strings Teacher, Northside College Preparatory High School; and
WHEREAS, Each Golden Apple Award recipient receives a tuition-free, spring quarter sabbatical to study at Northwestern University. Each recipient also receives a $5,000 honorarium. Perhaps most importantly, Golden Apple teachers become Fellows of the Golden Apple Academy of Educators, providing a stronger voice and a larger stage from which to make an impact on education, through ongoing professional development and engagement in education reform, such as the mentoring of future teachers through the Golden Apple Scholars of Illinois program; and
WHEREAS, The recipients of the 2016 Golden Apple Awards for Excellence in Teaching were honored on May 20, 2016 at WTTW/Channel 11 Studios in Chicago. WTTW later broadcast the awards in a one-hour televised program; and
WHEREAS, Because our children are our future, no one is more deserving of our admiration and respect than these extraordinary teachers, who give generously of themselves each day to educate and inspire our children; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and Members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, assembled this fourteenth day of September, 2016, do hereby applaud this year's recipients of the 2016 Golden Apple Award for their impressive dedication to teaching, the most noble of professions, and welcome their future contributions to the Golden Apple Academy; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be presented to the 2016 Golden Apple Award recipients Dana Butler, Dennis Kass, Todd Katz, and Leo Park as a token of our esteem and good wishes.
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