<BillNo> <Sponsor> HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION 392 By Farmer HJR0392 004584 - 1 - A RESOLUTION to honor and congratulate Pam Oakes on her selection as a 2024–2025 Jefferson County Schools District Level Teacher of the Year and the Piedmont Elementary School Teacher of the Year. WHEREAS, it is fitting that the members of this General Assembly should pause to specially recognize those outstanding teachers who have devoted their careers to providing the highest quality education for Tennessee's students; and WHEREAS, Pam Oakes is one such estimable educator, who has distinguished herself as a professional of the greatest dedication, ability, and integrity; and WHEREAS, Mrs. Oakes has recently been named a 2024–2025 Jefferson County Schools District Level Teacher of the Year and the Piedmont Elementary School Teacher of the Year, most befitting honors that recognize the positive influence she has on so many young lives; and WHEREAS, a dedicated fifth-grade science and social studies teacher at Piedmont Elementary for eighteen years, Mrs. Oakes is an extremely talented and compassionate educator who continuously strives to refine her teaching methods and support student growth; her data-driven approach has helped her students achieve remarkable success, including a TVAAS growth index of 4.97 and a 97 th percentile ranking in science statewide; and WHEREAS, beyond academics, Pam Oakes enjoys incorporating real-world experiences into her teaching; she and her husband have visited more than thirty national parks, and she often shares personal stories—whether it is hiking rim to rim in the Grand Canyon, summiting Half Dome in Yosemite, or experiencing an iceberg lake firsthand—to help students connect lessons to the world around them; and - 2 - 004584 WHEREAS, Mrs. Oakes serves as an inspiration to her colleagues and students alike, and her friendship and counsel are highly valued by those who are fortunate to know her; and WHEREAS, Pam Oakes truly epitomizes the dedicated teacher who is wholly committed to the highest ideals of public service and quality education for all, and she should be specially recognized; now, therefore, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE, THE SENATE CONCURRING, that we hereby honor and congratulate Pam Oakes on being chosen as a 2024–2025 Jefferson County Schools District Level Teacher of the Year and the Piedmont Elementary School Teacher of the Year, commend her exceptional service to the children of Tennessee, salute her professional expertise and personal excellence, and wish her all the best in her future endeavors. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that an appropriate copy of this resolution be prepared for presentation with this final clause omitted from such copy and upon proper request made to the appropriate clerk, the language appearing immediately following the State seal appear without House or Senate designation.