RESOLUTION CELEBRATING THE RETIREMENT OF DR. GUILLERMO "WILLY" WIONTES DE OCA
WHEREAS, Dr. Guillermo "Willy" Montes de Oca, one ofthe highest-ranking Latinos at Chicago Public Schools, retired in June of 2021 from his position as Director of the Office of Local School Council Relations for Chicago Public Schools; and
WHEREAS, The Chicago City Council has been informed of this milestone by the Honorable Michael D. Rodriguez, Alderman of the 22nd Ward; and
WHEREAS, Born on October 23,1957 in Havana, Cuba, Willy, emigrated to the United States in 1980; after stints as a factory laborer and bartender, Willy began a long career in community development; and
WHEREAS, As program coordinator, and later program director, of social services at the venerable Gads Hill settlement house in Pilsen, Willy worked to provide resources to young immigrants and their parents; and
WHEREAS, It became obvious to Willy that sustainable community empowerment required educational achievement - thus began his long-term engagement with Chicago Public Schools; and
WHEREAS, For the last 12 years, Willy has worked to ensure that 400,000, mostly low-Income minority, students gain the most from their educational experience by implementing the vision of local schools working together with parents for the common goal of academic achievement; and
WHEREAS, As Director of the Office of Local School Council Relations, Willy has successfully implemented the Chicago School Reform Act of 1988, which created a model and framework for ensuring that"parents and community residents are working partners in the educational of their children; and
WHEREAS, Willy has worked tirelessly to maintain a structure of 500 local school councils across the City made of up parents, community residents, teachers, and principals; his technical assistance, support, and continuous advocacy have sustained this complex and fragile structure and ensured that it not only outlived similar efforts across the country, but is still t...
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