LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION honoring Erin Lynch upon the occasion of her
designation as recipient of the 2015 Educator of the Year Award by the
Bensonhurst West End Community Council

WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body to acknowledge
outstanding individuals whose professional lives, personal endeavors and
community service are an example and inspiration to their colleagues,
friends, and family; and
WHEREAS, It is also the practice of this Legislative Body to take note
of and publicly acknowledge individuals of remarkable integrity and
character whose endeavors have enhanced the quality of education in this
great State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to honor Erin
Lynch upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of the 2015
Educator of the Year Award by the Bensonhurst West End Community Council
to be celebrated at its 54th Anniversary Gala, at El Caribe, Brooklyn,
New York on Thursday, March 5, 2015; and
WHEREAS, Erin Lynch earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from St. Joseph's
College in Brooklyn; upon graduation, she began teaching seventh and
eighth grade Social Studies at St. Cecilia's School in Greenpoint,
Brooklyn; and
WHEREAS, Erin Lynch then received her Master's degree in Secondary
Education from St. John's University in Jamaica, New York, and went on
to acquire a second Master's degree in School Administration and Super-
vision from Mercy College in New York; and
WHEREAS, For the next eight years, Erin Lynch was a teacher at Ditmas
Junior High School 62 in Brooklyn, before rising through the ranks,
securing the acclaimed position of Dean; and
WHEREAS, During her tenure in this capacity, Erin Lynch led the move-
ment in curriculum writing to bring literacy and Social Studies together
to improve literacy rates in middle school; for this effort, she was
bestowed the Ready Set Tech Award by the Teacher's Network; and
WHEREAS, Erin Lynch's entire career has been focused on bringing tech-
nology into the schools, lives, and homes of economically challenged
families; she was a co-organizer of Our Neighborhood Digital Education
Community (OnDec), a program partnership with JPMorgan Chase; this vital
program brought digital literacy to hundreds of middle school families
by educating parents and installing free computers into the homes of
every student at her school; and
WHEREAS, In 2010, Erin Lynch joined the team at Seth Low IS 96 in
Brooklyn, as Assistant Principal; with her new role as an Administrator,
she was excited at the opportunity to bring technology into classrooms;
and
WHEREAS, In 2011, Erin Lynch wrote and received a grant to make Seth
Low IS 96 a Connected Learning school, which involved a three prong
program to get school communities on the road to digital literacy; every
one of her students received free home computers and families received
technology training, as well as training and opportunities for teachers
to learn how to bring technology into their classrooms to differentiate
instruction and improve student outcomes; and
WHEREAS, Seth Low IS 96 was also given the chance to receive hardware
and software support to sustain the program and create a digital home-
school bond; as a result, Erin Lynch raised expectations for her
students and put them on a path of college and career readiness; and
WHEREAS, In addition, on behalf of Seth Low IS 96, Erin Lynch accepted
an iLearn grant which trained and supported teachers to create blended

learning classrooms; Seth Low became a Lab School serving as a site
where administrators and teachers from around the city have the opportu-
nity to observe and learn how to introduce blended learning models of
teaching into their schools; and
WHEREAS, After four years serving as Assistant Principal, Erin Lynch
became the Principal of Seth Low IS 96 in 2014; she continues to seek
out programs and partnerships that will make the school unique while
nurturing the creative talents and academic abilities of all students
and teachers; and
WHEREAS, Under Erin Lynch's capable tutelage, Seth Low IS 96 students
have made significant academic progress on New York State exams, and
every single teacher was rated Effective under the new teacher evalu-
ation system; and
WHEREAS, Recently, Seth Low IS 96 has become a Community School which
will bring in a significant amount of funding and resources to support
students and their families, as well as the entire Bensonhurst communi-
ty; and
WHEREAS, The driving force behind Erin Lynch's commitment to public
education is her belief that all children have the potential to do great
things if given the opportunity; she prides herself on creating an
educational environment where students come first and expectations are
high; and
WHEREAS, Erin Lynch has worked tirelessly throughout her career to
provide meaningful educational opportunities for students, partnering
with all constituencies to support the instructional program in schools
and the social and emotional development of children; under her leader-
ship, schools have been focused on implementing effective strategies
within schools and educating each child in each school each day; and
WHEREAS, Throughout the entire period of her professional and communi-
ty service, a period of constructive involvement, Erin Lynch has stood
constant in dignity, good grace and humor, and has earned the respect
and admiration of her colleagues, family and friends; now, therefore, be
it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor Erin Lynch upon the occasion of her designation as recipient of
the 2015 Educator of the Year Award by the Bensonhurst West End Communi-
ty Council; and be it further
RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to Erin Lynch.