Texas 2009 - 81st Regular

Texas House Bill HR1991 Compare Versions

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1	1	H.R. No. 1991
2	2
3	3
4	4	R E S O L U T I O N
5	5	WHEREAS, Tom Torkelson was nominated for inclusion in TIME
6	6	magazine's 2009 TIME 100 list of the world's most influential
7	7	people; and
8	8	WHEREAS, In selecting nominees, TIME turned to newsmakers and
9	9	past TIME 100 honorees, including Teach for America founder and CEO
10	10	Wendy Kopp, who named Mr. Torkelson for his outstanding
11	11	contributions to education as the chief executive officer and
12	12	co-founder of IDEA Public Schools; and
13	13	WHEREAS, Mr. Torkelson, who holds an economics degree from
14	14	Georgetown University, taught fourth grade in Donna with Teach for
15	15	America for three years, during which he joined with colleague
16	16	JoAnn Gonzales to found the IDEA Academy as an after-school program
17	17	to help resolve some of the educational deficiencies that were
18	18	holding back their students; their focus on high expectations and
19	19	college readiness brought immediate success, and in 2000, the state
20	20	granted IDEA a charter, making Mr. Torkelson, then 24, the youngest
21	21	charter school founder in Texas; and
22	22	WHEREAS, Today, IDEA serves nearly 4,000 students at its
23	23	flagship campus in Donna and at schools in Brownsville,
24	24	McAllen/Edinburg, Mission, and San Benito; another school is set to
25	25	open in San Juan in August 2009; IDEA College Preparatory was ranked
26	26	19th in the nation in the 2008 US News and World Report list of top
27	27	high schools and ranked 6th among charter schools; it has been
28	28	featured in numerous publications, among them USA Today and Parade
29	29	magazine, and in 2008, Mr. Torkelson received the Freddy Fender
30	30	Humanitarian Award honoring his work in behalf of the children of
31	31	the Rio Grande Valley; and
32	32	WHEREAS, This dynamic educator and civic leader serves on the
33	33	board and executive committee for The University of Texas-Pan
34	34	American Foundation and on the boards of the McAllen Chamber of
35	35	Commerce and Encore, a community-based organization working to
36	36	shift attitudes on college readiness in the Valley; in addition, he
37	37	served as chair of the 2007 National Charter Schools Conference;
38	38	and
39	39	WHEREAS, Through his commitment to excellence and belief that
40	40	all children deserve a college preparatory academic program of the
41	41	highest caliber, Tom Torkelson is making a profound difference in
42	42	the Rio Grande Valley and has won the respect and admiration of
43	43	education professionals across the country; now, therefore, be it
44	44	RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas
45	45	Legislature hereby congratulate Tom Torkelson on his nomination for
46	46	inclusion in the 2009 TIME 100 list of the world's most influential
47	47	people; and, be it further
48	48	RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be
49	49	prepared for Mr. Torkelson as an expression of high regard by the
50	50	Texas House of Representatives.
51	51	Martinez
52	52	Gonzales
53	53	______________________________
54	54	Speaker of the House
55	55	I certify that H.R. No. 1991 was adopted by the House on May
56	56	19, 2009, by a non-record vote.
57	57	______________________________
58	58	Chief Clerk of the House