Troy's Marc Solodky Receives INSPRA Award of Merit

Marc Solodky, Coordinator of Student and Family Services at Troy Community School District 30-C, has been selected as a recipient of an Award of Merit in the Administrator category as part of the 2021 Distinguished Service Awards Program, sponsored by the Illinois Chapter of the National School Public Relations Association (INSPRA).

The statewide Distinguished Service Awards Program honors those whose efforts have enhanced education and conveyed its importance to the community on behalf of their schools and districts.

Troy Executive Director of Teaching and Learning Anne Gmazel said that Solodky is a strong and caring ambassador for the district.

“He has fostered partnerships between home and school for all of our families,” Gmazel said. “He also supports our instructional program by providing services and information about programs that are available to families that may need them.”

Solodky serves as a liaison between Troy’s seven schools and its students and families and is responsible for supporting the district’s instructional program by helping students get what they need for academic success. During this year of remote and hybrid learning due to Covid-19, his responsibilities have snowballed.

To help Troy students learn from home during periods of remote and hybrid education, Solodky worked with the Technology Department and other staff to make sure each student had the technology for at-home learning and also the ability to use it. Sometimes working with translators to assist Troy’s non-English speaking families (some 21 languages are spoken by Troy families), Solodky insured students and their parents knew how to log on to their devices from home, operate the applications, participate in online classes, complete assignments and take exams.

Solodky cares deeply about the social and emotional skills of students, as well, according to Troy Superintendent Dr. Todd Koehl.

Last year, he began a collaboration with an area counseling service to help provide mental health services to Troy students, and that collaboration was strengthened this year.

He also began a new partnership with the local Kiwanis Club to supply some of Troy’s students with backpacks and school supplies; assisted with providing meals to Troy students; works with the local health department to serve early childhood students; and works with homeless families in the Troy school district.

Previous Troy recipients of the INSPRA Award of Merit are Arlene Roderick (Faculty/Certified Staff category, 2018) and Sabrina Price (School Board Member category, 2020).

Solodky will be recognized for the achievement during a special video broadcast on May 21.