Honoring Michael Galbraith on receiving the Milken National Education Award.

WHEREAS, The City Council of Philadelphia is pleased to recognize and honor teacher Michael Galbraith of the Grover Washington Jr. Middle School for receiving the Milken National Education Award; and

WHEREAS, Michael Galbraith, an eighth-grade reading specialist was cited for a journal project that encouraged students to write about poignant topics that hit close to home for many- violence, death and poverty and share them with their classmates. The Philadelphia Inquirer chronicled Galbraith’s class project in an award winning five-part series; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Galbraith during the 2004-2005 school year was among the first teachers in the country to get students interested in learning by writing about their experiences. This writing approach was made famous in the movie

Freedom Writers

starring, Hilary Swank and was based on the real life experience of a Long Beach, California teacher; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Galbraith has been an educator for fifteen years, the last eight at Grover Washington, Jr. Middle School and besides teaching he is a literacy coach, trains fellow teachers, and is working on a book about the writing project; and

WHEREAS, The Milken National Education Award was created in 1987 by the Milken Family Foundation will have bestowed $58 million to more than 2,300 educators by the end of this school year. Award winners are selected by a blue-ribbon panel appointed by their state educational department based on exceptional educational talents both in and outside of the classroom; and

WHEREAS, October 18, 2007, Mr. Galbraith was surprised with this award along with the $25,000 prize during an assembly at the Grover Washington Jr. Middle School; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Galbraith, a married father of two young daughters, said “I want to share my good fortune with the students and teachers” and plans to use a portion of this prize money for the literacy program at Grover Washington Jr. Middle School; now therefore

RESOLVED, BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF PHILADELPHIA, That we recognize and honor teacher Michael Galbraith of the Grover Washington Jr. Middle School for receiving the Milken National Education Award.

FURTHER RESOLVED, That an Engrossed copy of this resolution be presented to Michael Galbraith as evidence of the sincere sentiment of this legislative body.

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