Elgin honors U-46 administrator with Dr. King Humanitarian Award

An administrator in Elgin Area Unit District U-46 has been named the city of Elgin's choice for its 2019 Dr. King Humanitarian Award.

Ronald Raglin, assistant superintendent of support programs and alignment for U-46, received the award Saturday morning as the city hosted its 34th annual Dr. King Prayer Breakfast at Elgin Community College. The theme of this year's event was "Justice Before Comfort."

In a news release, U-46 officials said Raglin is known as a champion of educational equity who has strengthened ties to community partners to promote student success.

"Ron lives a mission-driven life - one that rises to the ideals that Dr. Martin Luther King held for all mankind," U-46 CEO Tony Sanders said in a written statement. "He works to uplift the power and potential of all students and inspires all he works with to do the same. Ron is very deserving of this honor."

Raglin is in his seventh year working in U-46, where he says he has his "dream job" overseeing college readiness, promoting equity and mentoring initiatives, and working with the Alignment Collaborative for Education, which aims to raise student achievement, create productive members of society and advance economic and social well-being.

"It is both humbling and an honor to serve the culturally and linguistically diverse student population in U-46," Raglin said in a written statement. "I saw the power of a good education early on in life, and so to be a part of the good things happening in U-46 - and now to be honored with the Dr. King Humanitarian Award - is more rewarding than I can say."

Raglin grew up on Chicago's South Side and moved to Elgin from Chicago after he joined the district. After 18 years teaching and coaching in California, Raglin and his wife, a fellow teacher named Tena, moved back to Chicago in 2002.