HONORARY RESOLUTION
WHEREAS, After nine years of compassionate and agile leadership, Chad Thomas is stepping down as principal of Sullivan High School, the City's most diverse secondary education institution; and
WHEREAS, Chad Thomas is being recognized for his acceptance of a new role as the Director of Principal Engagement at Chicago Public Schools; and
WHEREAS, When Principal Thomas started at Sullivan High in 2013, it was on the City's short list of school closures and experienced a remarkable rebound under his tenure; and
WHEREAS, When first starting at Sullivan, he convened an 8-hour meeting with all the teachers and staff to hear from them directly about why they chose to be at Sullivan, which informed Sullivan's core values of Family, Integrity, Service and Tenacity; and
WHEREAS, After that meeting, he introduced a roadmap on how to bring new life and purpose to the school with the highest population of immigrant and refugee students through the "Sullivan example;" branding the school with the "S" logo; and
WHEREAS, Principal Thomas wanted to have the community feel reinvested in Sullivan High School and change the false narrative that permeated the neighborhood at the time, which meant that he had to open the doors for the community to hear the students' stories; and
WHEREAS, By opening the doors to the school and letting the students tell their stories, journalist Elly Fishman felt inspired to spend a year at the high school, which led to the publication of her book Refugee High: Coming of Age in America, which shares the stories of refugee students and the unconventional ways Principal Thomas and the rest of the Sullivan community ensure a safe learning environment for students to thrive; and
WHEREAS, He established the Newcomers Academy to offer comprehensive programing to meet the academic, social, and emotional needs of English Language Learners and their families following an influx of refugees to Sullivan High School, which helped usher in se...
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