Bill Text: IL HR0104 | 2021-2022 | 102nd General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: Mourns the passing of Karen GJ Lewis.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2021-03-18 - Resolution Adopted [HR0104 Detail]
Download: Illinois-2021-HR0104-Introduced.html
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1 | HOUSE RESOLUTION
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2 | WHEREAS, The members of the Illinois House of | ||||||
3 | Representatives are saddened to learn of the death of Karen GJ | ||||||
4 | Lewis of Chicago, who passed away on February 8, 2021; and
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5 | WHEREAS, Karen Lewis was born in Chicago to Geoffrey | ||||||
6 | Jennings and Martha Gakins on July 20,1953; she attended | ||||||
7 | Kozminski Elementary School and Kenwood High School, until she | ||||||
8 | accepted early admission at Mount Holyoke College; she later | ||||||
9 | transferred to Dartmouth College, where she earned the | ||||||
10 | distinction of being the only African American woman in the | ||||||
11 | class of 1974; she married John W. Lewis; and
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12 | WHEREAS, Karen Lewis was a chemistry teacher in the | ||||||
13 | Chicago Public Schools (CPS) system, where she taught at both | ||||||
14 | King College Prep High School and Lane Tech High School, for 22 | ||||||
15 | years; and
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16 | WHEREAS, Karen Lewis became a member of the Chicago | ||||||
17 | Teachers Union (CTU) in 1988, where she served as a member of | ||||||
18 | the House of Delegates, as High School Functional Vice | ||||||
19 | President, and as a member of the Illinois State Certification | ||||||
20 | Board; she was elected president of the Chicago Teachers Union | ||||||
21 | (CTU) on June 11, 2010; she was reelected to a second term in | ||||||
22 | May 2012; she successfully led a nine-day strike against the |
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1 | Chicago Board of Education in 2012, which resulted in a fair | ||||||
2 | and equitable contract for her members and board agreement to | ||||||
3 | implement many of CTU's recommendations to enhance the | ||||||
4 | learning process; under her direction, the CTU published the | ||||||
5 | study entitled The Schools Chicago's Students Deserve, which | ||||||
6 | argued for education reforms within Chicago Public Schools; | ||||||
7 | and
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8 | WHEREAS, Karen Lewis further served educators nationwide | ||||||
9 | and throughout Illinois; she was the vice president of the | ||||||
10 | American Federation of Teachers, representing more than 1.7 | ||||||
11 | million members; she was elected executive vice president to | ||||||
12 | the more than 100,000 members of the Illinois Federation of | ||||||
13 | Teachers in 2010; and
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14 | WHEREAS, Karen Lewis received numerous awards and | ||||||
15 | recognitions for her relentless fight for education equity and | ||||||
16 | for giving Chicago's students the schools they deserve; she | ||||||
17 | received National Board Certification in 2002; she was | ||||||
18 | recently presented with a Doctorate of Humane Letters from the | ||||||
19 | National Labor College and her alma mater Mt. Holyoke College; | ||||||
20 | and
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21 | WHEREAS, Karen Lewis worked tirelessly to foster | ||||||
22 | excellence in the teaching and learning experience, to guard | ||||||
23 | against opportunistic self-interest groups who would eradicate |
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1 | public education, to advocate for equal quality education for | ||||||
2 | all students, and to protect the rights of educators | ||||||
3 | throughout the State of Illinois; she gave strength to tens of | ||||||
4 | thousands of Chicago Teachers Union educators who followed her | ||||||
5 | lead and live by her principles to this day; she will be | ||||||
6 | remembered as a true champion and a powerful, prolific | ||||||
7 | advocate for educators, students, their families, and the | ||||||
8 | communities in which they live; and
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9 | WHEREAS, Karen Lewis enjoyed watching foreign films, | ||||||
10 | playing tennis, reading, and traveling; she spoke three | ||||||
11 | languages; she loved opera and show tunes; she will be dearly | ||||||
12 | missed; and
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13 | WHEREAS, Karen Lewis was the doting daughter of the late | ||||||
14 | Geoffrey Jennings and Martha Gakins; the beloved wife of John | ||||||
15 | W. Lewis; the loving stepmother of Antionette, Randolph, and | ||||||
16 | Adolph; the proud grandmother of Kariah, Aaron, John, Jade, | ||||||
17 | Jasmine, and Journey; the caring great-grandmother of Angel | ||||||
18 | and Michaela; the dear sister of Keli Jennings; and a friend to | ||||||
19 | many; therefore, be it
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20 | RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE | ||||||
21 | HUNDRED SECOND GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that | ||||||
22 | we mourn the passing of Karen GJ Lewis and extend our sincere | ||||||
23 | condolences to her family, friends, and all who knew and loved |
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1 | her; and be it further
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2 | RESOLVED, That a suitable copy of this resolution be | ||||||
3 | presented to the family of Karen Lewis as an expression of our | ||||||
4 | deepest sympathy.
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