RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, since 1946 Mrs. Shirley Shechtman has been a teacher in the Chicago Pubic Schools, touching and enriching the lives of thousands of young people, and has announced her plan to retire at the end of the current school year, at the age of 90; and
WHEREAS, the City Council has been advised of this milestone by Alderman Margaret Laurino of the 39th Ward; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Shechtman has spent almost all of her career at Hibbard Elementary School in the Albany Park community and has accumulated over a half-century of teaching experience, joining the faculty in 1946 as a physical education instructor, and in later years moving into the general curriculum; and
WHEREAS, Mrs. Shechtman's ties to Hibbard Elementary School are even longer and deeper than her admirable years of service: her aunt was vice-principal of the school from 1916 to 1964 and Mrs. Shechtman herself attended the school as a child; and
WHEREAS, after identifying a need for a formalized special education program, Mrs. Shechtman established an innovative special education program at Hibbard Elementary School in 1973, and she has continued to work in the program ever since. Beyond her contributions to to her students: she has also served as a mentor for those seeking certification as special education teachers, imparting the benefits of her wisdom and experience to following generations; and
WHEREAS, so deep is the mutual affection between Hibbard Elementary School and Mrs. Shechtman that the lobby of the school is graced by a Chicago street sign designating the corridor "Shirley T. Shechtman Place". The sign was presented to her at a surprise birthday party for her 80th birthday in 2004; and
WHEREAS, as a devoted mother, dedicated teacher, and described by her school as tough and energetic presence at her school, Mrs. Shechtman has been an integral part of the changing, but always vibrantly diverse Albany Park community, and her contributions to a better Chicago can not be overstated...
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