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| 3 | 4 | | |
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| 4 | 5 | | R E S O L U T I O N |
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| 5 | 6 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Dawson Orr is stepping down as superintendent of |
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| 6 | 7 | | the Highland Park Independent School District on August 31, 2015, |
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| 7 | 8 | | having guided the district through a period of significant change |
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| 8 | 9 | | and growth; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, A veteran school superintendent when he took the |
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| 10 | 11 | | helm of the Highland Park ISD in 2009, Dr. Orr has furthered the |
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| 11 | 12 | | district's reputation for strong academics while navigating |
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| 12 | 13 | | funding challenges and overseeing a 12 percent increase in |
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| 13 | 14 | | enrollment; in the 2013-2014 school year, Highland Park ISD and all |
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| 14 | 15 | | seven of its campuses received the accountability rating "Met |
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| 15 | 16 | | Standard" with distinctions, the highest level assigned by the |
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| 16 | 17 | | Texas Education Agency; and |
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| 17 | 18 | | WHEREAS, This esteemed administrator began his career in 1975 |
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| 18 | 19 | | in Columbus, Georgia, where he served successively as a social |
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| 19 | 20 | | studies teacher and as assistant principal at Baker High School; he |
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| 20 | 21 | | then relocated to Veracruz, Mexico, to serve as a teacher and as |
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| 21 | 22 | | elementary principal and subsequently as superintendent at the |
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| 22 | 23 | | American School of Laguna Verde; after returning to Texas, he spent |
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| 23 | 24 | | 15 years with the Pampa ISD as assistant superintendent and as |
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| 24 | 25 | | superintendent before becoming superintendent of the Wichita Falls |
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| 25 | 26 | | ISD in 2003; and |
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| 26 | 27 | | WHEREAS, Highly respected in his field, Dr. Orr has served as |
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| 27 | 28 | | president of the Texas Association of School Administrators, as |
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| 28 | 29 | | chair of the association's legislative committee, and as president |
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| 29 | 30 | | of the Texas Leadership Center Board, as well as co-chair of the |
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| 30 | 31 | | Texas High Performance Schools Consortium; named Superintendent of |
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| 31 | 32 | | the Year in 2008 by Communities in Schools, he was selected as Key |
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| 32 | 33 | | Communicator of the Year by the Texas School Public Relations |
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| 33 | 34 | | Association in 2005; and |
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| 34 | 35 | | WHEREAS, In addition to his extensive efforts in the arena of |
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| 35 | 36 | | public education, Dr. Orr has given generously of his time and |
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| 36 | 37 | | talents in behalf of his community as a member of the University |
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| 37 | 38 | | Park Library Advisory Committee, the Park Cities Rotary Club, and |
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| 38 | 39 | | the Education Impact Committee of the United Way of Metropolitan |
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| 39 | 40 | | Dallas; he will remain in the Park Cities to take on new |
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| 40 | 41 | | responsibilities at Southern Methodist University as a professor |
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| 41 | 42 | | and as chair of the Department of Educational Policy and Leadership |
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| 42 | 43 | | in the Simmons School of Education and Human Development; and |
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| 43 | 44 | | WHEREAS, Dr. Orr is a graduate of the University of Alabama, |
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| 44 | 45 | | where he earned his bachelor's degree in public administration and |
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| 45 | 46 | | social studies in 1975; he returned to the school to complete a |
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| 46 | 47 | | master's degree in administration and planning and an additional |
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| 47 | 48 | | master's degree as an educational specialist, and he went on to |
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| 48 | 49 | | attain his doctorate in the Cooperative Superintendency Program at |
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| 49 | 50 | | The University of Texas; and |
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| 50 | 51 | | WHEREAS, Throughout his distinguished tenure with the |
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| 51 | 52 | | Highland Park ISD, Dr. Dawson Orr has advanced the tradition of |
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| 52 | 53 | | excellence that is synonymous with that district, and Highland Park |
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| 53 | 54 | | students, faculty, and staff are indeed fortunate to have benefited |
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| 54 | 55 | | from his vision and leadership; now, therefore, be it |
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| 55 | 56 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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| 56 | 57 | | Legislature hereby honor Dr. Dawson Orr for his exceptional |
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| 57 | 58 | | accomplishments as superintendent of the Highland Park Independent |
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| 58 | 59 | | School District and extend to him sincere best wishes as he embarks |
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| 59 | 60 | | on the next exciting chapter of his career; and, be it further |
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| 60 | 61 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 61 | 62 | | prepared for Dr. Orr as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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| 62 | 63 | | House of Representatives. |
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