Resolution Honoring the Teachers of UpBeat Music and Arts
WHEREAS, UpBeat Music and Arts is a non-profit music school that serves over 400 students, a majority of which attend local schools such as Ole A. Thorp Elementary Scholastic School, Belding Elementary School, and Disney II Magnet Elementary School; and
WHEREAS, UpBeat Music and Arts has been a part of the Old Irving Park community for over six years, led by Executive Director Scott Barbeau; and
WHEREAS, On November 19, 2019, the pursuit of a suspect that originated in a neighboring suburb ended in front of UpBeat Music and Arts, which regrettably resulted in a Chicago Police officer and a student intern being seriously wounded; and
WHEREAS, The five teachers present during the unfortunate incident, Jarrett Donoghue, Eric Taylor, Eliza Morris, Katie Little, and Hayley Koch, each acted with the highest levels of bravery and courage; and
WHEREAS, The teachers acted selflessly to protect students from a very present and active danger, with multiple accounts from community members detailing the bravery of the teachers, who "did not hesitate to act, covering students with their bodies, pulling tables over them "; and
WHEREAS, The teachers showed immense composure and leadership by sheltering the students while leading them to safety; and
WHEREAS, A week and a half after the incident, these courageous teachers returned to UpBeat Music and Arts to host an open house with the community in an effort to recognize the trauma experienced by the community and the student by reconnecting and reuniting with the children they are dedicated to serving; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED, That we, the Mayor and the members of the City Council of the City of Chicago, gathered here this fifteenth day of January 2020, do hereby recognize the bravery and composures of Jarrett Donoghue, Eric Taylor, Eliza Morris, Katie Little, and Hayley Koch and the resilience ofthe entire UpBeat Music and Arts community; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, ...
Click here for full text