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1
HOUSE RESOLUTION

 
2    WHEREAS, After 35 years in public education, with over half
3of that spent in school leadership roles, Wil Wagner is a man
4who has dedicated his life's work to the passionate and
5unfailing support of thousands of kids; and
 
6    WHEREAS, After working in several DuPage County high
7schools as a Dean, Wil Wagner was named Principal at West
8Leyden High School in 2004; and
 
9    WHEREAS, Wil Wagner's cultural experiences, combined with
10his school leadership tenures in the surrounding area, made him
11a leader within the Leyden educational community; and
 
12    WHEREAS, In 2006, Wil Wagner worked to install a freshmen
13mentoring program, ACCESS, which has improved the school
14culture and student leadership opportunities in the building; 2
15years later, he initiated a supportive program called "Guided
16Study" for all sophomores and juniors who received failing
17grades in core classes; and
 
18    WHEREAS, In 2010, Wil Wagner began another program for
19failing freshmen; unlike Guided Study, which was staffed by
20teachers, he and the administration facilitated the hour-long
21study program for freshmen after school; the success of the

 

 

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1program has been amazing, as the current rate of freshmen
2failing multiple classes is below 5%; both programs experienced
3transformative success and the number of students failing core
4classes at West Leyden has decreased in almost every year since
5their inception; and
 
6    WHEREAS, In 2012, the Leyden District became one of the
7first 3 districts nationwide to fully implement one to one
8computing with Google Chromebooks and Google Apps for
9Education; Wil Wagner has been a calming voice in this
10innovative transition, helping the school community integrate
11technology to enhance learning, but always keeping a focus on
12the best device for learning - the teachers; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Under Wil Wagner's leadership, Leyden was named
14the 2014 National AP School District of the Year by the College
15Board for raising enrollment and achievement in Advanced
16Placement classes, especially with minority and at-risk
17populations; and
 
18    WHEREAS, Wil Wagner has also committed to forming strong
19bonds with the school community; he has forged relationships
20with the students, parents, and stakeholders at West Leyden by
21bringing parents into the building through a variety of
22non-traditional interactions; he personally cooked pancake
23breakfasts for freshmen parents on Saturday mornings to

 

 

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1incentivize parents of struggling students to visit the school;
2he also sent buses into the community to pick up parents to
3bring them to teacher conferences and personally visits the
4homes of students who struggle to attend school; he is
5relentless in his pursuit of these connections that ultimately
6lead to greater chances for student success; and
 
7    WHEREAS, This past year, Wil Wagner organized a service
8trip to Mexico for 45 students; after he personally initiated a
9massive fundraising campaign, Leyden students worked at the
10"Casa Hogar" orphanage in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for a week
11last June; many students described the trip as "life-changing",
12and another service trip to Mexico is already underway; and
 
13    WHEREAS, Wil Wagner is a collaborative leader who has
14impacted the culture of learning for students and the quality
15of careers for educators; he commands the highest level of
16respect from teachers with his ethical decision making, his
17professional relationships, and a "dreamer's" mindset that
18anything is possible; therefore, be it
 
19    RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE
20NINETY-NINTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we
21recognize the accomplishments and dedication of Wil Wagner and
22his service as Principal of West Leyden High School in the City
23of Northlake; and be it further
 

 

 

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1    RESOLVED, That we congratulate Wil Wagner on his many years
2of service and his retirement from the education profession;
3and be it further
 
4    RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be
5presented to Wil Wagner as a symbol of our esteem and respect.