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WHEREAS, in 1952, Mrs. Doris Brevard started a career in the Pittsburgh Public schools that would span 43 years and would take her from Librarian, Counselor, Assistant Principal, and then to Principal of Vann Elementary School in the Hill District; and,
WHEREAS, during her 26-year tenure as Vann's Principal, her students regularly outpaced their peers with more than 80% scoring at or above the level of their classmates around the country. Mrs. Brevard made great strides in implementing "teacher-centered" classrooms and maintaining a rigorous adherence to academic standards for all students; and,
WHEREAS, Mrs. Brevard has made a career out of her commitment to excellence in education and is routinely held up both as a leader in her field and a role model for other educators; and,
WHEREAS, Mrs. Brevard has been the recipient of numerous awards and designations as well as recognition by this body; and,
WHEREAS, Mrs. Brevard is the latest in a long line of courageous and accomplished individuals. She is the great, great-granddaughter of Robert Smalls, a civil war hero who later served in the South Carolina House of Representatives and US Congress, was the first African-American captain of a vessel in the service of the United States military, and was also instrumental in laying the foundation for the public school system as we know it today;
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NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh does hereby applaud Mrs. Doris Brevard for her tremendous contributions to the Pittsburgh Public Schools, to the City of Pittsburgh, and to the more than 7000 students who attended Vann Elementary School; and,
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council of the City of Pittsburgh recognizes the crucial role educators like Mrs. Brevard play in our communities by proclaiming today, June 10, 2008 to be Doris Garrett Brevard Day in the City of Pittsburgh.