HR0740 95TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0740 LRB095 13908 KXB 39675 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of Representatives are pleased to honor Reg Weaver, President of the National Education Association, on being inducted into the Illinois Labor History Society Union Hall of Honor; and

WHEREAS, Reg Weaver is the son of a coal mining family from Danville; he did his school teaching in Harvey; he is known for his leadership abilities, which took him to the presidency of the Illinois Education Association; he is now President of the National Education Association, with 3.2.million members; and he is well known as a brilliant public speaker; and

WHEREAS, He served as president of his local in Harvey, as president of the NEA affiliate in Illinois, and travels nationally and internationally, working tirelessly as an ambassador for public education and advocating for the basic right of every student to attend a great public school; in 2006, he made a landmark visit to the Lincoln Cathedral in England, home to a very rare copy of the Magna Carta, that was met with widespread acclaim; in recognition of his commitment to democracy and fundamental freedoms, the Cathedral recently unveiled a stone column in his name; and

WHEREAS, Reg Weaver was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters in 2006 from Shaw University; he was also conferred with an honorary Doctor of Public Service by South Carolina State University at its 2007 Spring Commencement for "his example of service that benefits us all"; he serves as vice president of Education International, a 348-member organization representing more than 29 million teachers and education workers in 169 countries; he travels to meetings of Education International and national education unions around the world; and

WHEREAS, Reg Weaver has also addressed conferences and forums sponsored by numerous national organizations, including the U.S. Conference of Mayors, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), National Council of La Raza (NCLR), Rainbow Push Coalition, League of United Latin Citizens (LULAC), ASPIRA, and ACORN; he is an honorary life member of the National Parent Teachers Association; he served on the Illinois State Board of Education's Blue Ribbon Committee on the Improvement of Teaching as a Profession, the Illinois Commission for the Improvement of Elementary and Secondary Education, the Administrator's Academy, the Illinois Project for School Reform Advisory Council, the North Central Regional Educational Laboratory Advisory Committee, the Joint Committee on Minority Student Achievement, the Illinois Literacy Council, and the Task Force on At-Risk Youth; and

WHEREAS, He has been named one of Ebony magazine's 100 Most Influential Black Americans for his national influence; his recent honors include the 2007 MALDEF Excellence in Leadership Award; the 2006 Chairman's Award for Educational Leadership presented by 100 Black Men of America Inc.; and the Congressional Black Caucus Education Braintrust's 2006 Great Points of Light Award; he was the recipient of the 2005 Spirit of Liberty Award presented by People for the American Way as well as the U.S. Hispanic Leadership Institute's 2006 George Meany Latino Leadership Award; he has also been honored with the USAction Progressive Leadership Award, the National Conference of Black Mayors President's Award, the Ebony Influential Black Educators Award, and the Illinois Education Association's Human Relations Award; and

WHEREAS, Reg Weaver is listed on the Danville High School Wall of Fame and serves as an honorary member of the advisory board for the Department of Educational Leadership at Roosevelt University, which is his alma mater; he earned his bachelor of science degree in special education for the physically challenged at Illinois State University and received a master's degree from Roosevelt University in Chicago; and

WHEREAS, Reg Weaver will be the Guest Speaker and will be inducted into the Union Hall of Honor at the Illinois Labor History Society Annual Awards Dinner to be held on November 2, 2007 in Oak Brook; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we congratulate Reg Weaver and wish him the best in his future endeavors; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be presented to Reg Weaver as a symbol of our respect and esteem.