H.R. No. 1991
R E S O L U T I O N
WHEREAS, Tom Torkelson was nominated for inclusion in TIME
magazine's 2009 TIME 100 list of the world's most influential
people; and
WHEREAS, In selecting nominees, TIME turned to newsmakers and
past TIME 100 honorees, including Teach for America founder and CEO
Wendy Kopp, who named Mr. Torkelson for his outstanding
contributions to education as the chief executive officer and
co-founder of IDEA Public Schools; and
WHEREAS, Mr. Torkelson, who holds an economics degree from
Georgetown University, taught fourth grade in Donna with Teach for
America for three years, during which he joined with colleague
JoAnn Gonzales to found the IDEA Academy as an after-school program
to help resolve some of the educational deficiencies that were
holding back their students; their focus on high expectations and
college readiness brought immediate success, and in 2000, the state
granted IDEA a charter, making Mr. Torkelson, then 24, the youngest
charter school founder in Texas; and
WHEREAS, Today, IDEA serves nearly 4,000 students at its
flagship campus in Donna and at schools in Brownsville,
McAllen/Edinburg, Mission, and San Benito; another school is set to
open in San Juan in August 2009; IDEA College Preparatory was ranked
19th in the nation in the 2008 US News and World Report list of top
high schools and ranked 6th among charter schools; it has been
featured in numerous publications, among them USA Today and Parade
magazine, and in 2008, Mr. Torkelson received the Freddy Fender
Humanitarian Award honoring his work in behalf of the children of
the Rio Grande Valley; and
WHEREAS, This dynamic educator and civic leader serves on the
board and executive committee for The University of Texas-Pan
American Foundation and on the boards of the McAllen Chamber of
Commerce and Encore, a community-based organization working to
shift attitudes on college readiness in the Valley; in addition, he
served as chair of the 2007 National Charter Schools Conference;
and
WHEREAS, Through his commitment to excellence and belief that
all children deserve a college preparatory academic program of the
highest caliber, Tom Torkelson is making a profound difference in
the Rio Grande Valley and has won the respect and admiration of
education professionals across the country; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
Legislature hereby congratulate Tom Torkelson on his nomination for
inclusion in the 2009 TIME 100 list of the world's most influential
people; and, be it further
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
prepared for Mr. Torkelson as an expression of high regard by the
Texas House of Representatives.
Martinez
Gonzales
______________________________
Speaker of the House
I certify that H.R. No. 1991 was adopted by the House on May
19, 2009, by a non-record vote.
______________________________
Chief Clerk of the House