81R23024 BPG-D
By: Harper-Brown H.R. No. 1481
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Superintendent Jack Singley retired in March 2009
after 44 years of distinguished service to the Irving Independent
School District; and
WHEREAS, Born and raised in Oklahoma, Mr. Singley won a
baseball scholarship to Texas A&M University and went on to earn a
bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's degree in education
there; he later completed a postgraduate program in administration
at the University of North Texas to earn a Superintendent's
Professional Certificate; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Singley began his career as a math teacher at
MacArthur High School in 1965; three years later he became vice
principal of Bowie Junior High, and his skill and commitment to
excellence led him to a series of progressively more responsible
positions, including high school principal, district personnel
director, and district assistant superintendent for administration
and personnel; he became superintendent in 1988; and
WHEREAS, During more than two decades leading Irving ISD, Mr.
Singley provided stability and a firm hand as the community
experienced dramatic demographic changes; he led successful bond
elections to build schools to accommodate a growing enrollment,
overseeing the addition of eight new campuses; in recent years, he
made special efforts to recruit bilingual faculty and staff and
made the district the first in the Dallas area to issue laptops to
all high school students; and
WHEREAS, Through Mr. Singley's sound fiscal management,
Irving ISD received the Superior Achievement rating from the School
Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas five years in a row and
was consistently listed among the top three most cost-efficient
school districts in the state by the Education Resource Group,
which ranked it No. 1 in both 2005 and 2006; and
WHEREAS, This dedicated administrator held himself and
everyone in the district to high standards, serving as both a role
model and a mentor to young educators; his chief focus was on the
needs of Irving's children and of their instructors, and once, in
explaining the district budget to a reporter, he categorized
himself and other administrators as "just support staff for the
classroom teacher"; and
WHEREAS, The American Association of School Administrators
presented Mr. Singley with a 2004 President's Technology Award
recognizing his leadership in the successful integration of
technology in schools; he was named Region 10 Superintendent of the
Year for 2002-2003, and his other accolades include a Life
Membership Award from the Texas and National Congress of Parents
and Teachers Associations and the Boy Scouts of America Silver
Beaver Award; and
WHEREAS, Among his many affiliations, Mr. Singley is a member
of the Texas Association of School Administrators, the American
Association of School Administrators, the National Association of
Secondary School Principals, and the Irving Retired Teachers
Association; he has contributed to the wider community as a member
of the Irving Rotary Club and a sustaining member of the Irving YMCA
and the Boy Scouts of America Circle Ten Council; and
WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Mr. Singley has enjoyed the
love and support of his wife, Carolyn, a retired English teacher,
and their children, Brandt and Ryn; and
WHEREAS, Jack Singley served one of the longest terms of any
superintendent in Texas, and his retirement truly marks the end of
an era for Irving ISD; although he will be missed, he leaves behind
a record of integrity and commitment to excellence that will
resonate in the community for years to come; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Jack Singley on the occasion of his
retirement and commend him for his myriad achievements as
superintendent of the Irving Independent School District; and, be
it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for him as an expression of high regard by the Texas House
of Representatives.