City of Philadelphia - File #: 230095

• File #: 230095
• Version: 0
• Type: Resolution
• Status: ADOPTED
• File created: 2/9/2023
• In control: CITY COUNCIL
• Final action: 2/9/2023
• Title: Honoring and recognizing Evette Denise Jones, a caring educator, fierce advocate, and a lifelong community builder, who has tirelessly fought for the children, teachers, and parents of Philadelphia and for schools that meet the needs of the communities that they serve.
• Sponsors: Councilmember Brooks, Councilmember Driscoll, Councilmember Gauthier, Councilmember Squilla, Councilmember Gilmore Richardson, Councilmember Lozada, Councilmember Vaughn, Councilmember Phillips, Councilmember Thomas, Councilmember Bass, Councilmember Oh

Date	Ver.	Action By	Action	Result	Tally
2/9/2023	0	CITY COUNCIL	Introduced and Ordered Placed on This Week's Final Passage Calendar
2/9/2023	0	CITY COUNCIL	ADOPTED

Title
Honoring and recognizing Evette Denise Jones, a caring educator, fierce advocate, and a lifelong community builder, who has tirelessly fought for the children, teachers, and parents of Philadelphia and for schools that meet the needs of the communities that they serve.

Body
WHEREAS, Evette Denise Jones created community wherever she went, forging bonds between educators, students, parents, and neighbors through her fierce love and care for all of those around her, her always-open door, and her tireless fight against injustices across the City; and

WHEREAS, Born and raised in North Philadelphia by a single mother and the second youngest of seven siblings, Jones has dedicated her life to serving and caring for the community she grew up in and for children across the City; and

WHEREAS, Jones was a born educator; she realized that teaching was her calling as a child, after being inspired by her 4th-grade teacher, Ms. Trawick; her mother encouraged her passion, giving her a blackboard, which she used to teach her siblings; and

WHEREAS, Jones went to public schools, graduating from Roxborough High School, where she displayed the talent and work ethic that would serve our city's children so well, starring in the school play, becoming a member of the varsity basketball team and varsity cheerleading squad and graduating 10th in her class; and

WHEREAS, Encouraged by teachers who recognized her potential, and by her mother who always stressed the value of education, Jones applied for college and received several full-ride scholarships; choosing to attend Temple University Ambler Campus; and

WHEREAS, After working her way through Temple, Jones graduated and was finally able to pursue her calling, first as a substitute teacher at Thomas Mifflin Elementary before working at Ivy Leaf for two years until she was hired full-time by the School District of Philadelphia to teach at Edward T. Steel Elementary starting in 1985 and later at Grover Cleveland Elementary;...