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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. James A. McSwain is retiring as the west area |
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| 6 | 7 | | superintendent for the Houston Independent School District in 2021, |
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| 7 | 8 | | drawing to a close an outstanding career in education that has |
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| 8 | 9 | | spanned more than four decades; and |
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| 9 | 10 | | WHEREAS, James McSwain earned his bachelor's degree in |
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| 10 | 11 | | history from The University of Texas at Arlington in 1980, his |
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| 11 | 12 | | master's degree in educational administration from Tarleton State |
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| 12 | 13 | | University in 1988, and his doctorate in educational leadership |
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| 13 | 14 | | from Texas Tech University in 1995; and |
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| 14 | 15 | | WHEREAS, This dedicated educator began his career as a |
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| 15 | 16 | | teacher in 1980 at Grapevine High School and later taught at |
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| 16 | 17 | | Stephenville High School from 1989 to 1991; during his years in |
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| 17 | 18 | | Stephenville, he was also the principal of an alternative high |
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| 18 | 19 | | school operated by seven school districts; he went on to be |
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| 19 | 20 | | appointed principal of Colorado High School in Colorado City in |
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| 20 | 21 | | 1991 and Texas High School in Texarkana in 1993; and |
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| 21 | 22 | | WHEREAS, In 1997, Dr. McSwain joined Houston ISD, and for the |
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| 22 | 23 | | next 21 years, he was the principal of Lamar High School while |
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| 23 | 24 | | simultaneously serving as a mentor and lead principal for interns |
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| 24 | 25 | | and newly appointed principals across the district; he has been the |
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| 25 | 26 | | west area superintendent since 2018, responsible for the direct |
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| 26 | 27 | | operations and long-term planning of 77 campuses that serve more |
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| 27 | 28 | | than 70,000 students and employ 7,000 teachers and staff; and |
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| 28 | 29 | | WHEREAS, Dr. McSwain has shared his professional knowledge |
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| 29 | 30 | | through his work as an adjunct faculty member at the University of |
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| 30 | 31 | | St. Thomas, Houston Baptist University, the University of Houston, |
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| 31 | 32 | | and the Texas A&M University System; he has twice been named Texas |
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| 32 | 33 | | State Principal of the Year, earning the honor from the Texas |
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| 33 | 34 | | Association of Secondary School Principals in 1996 and the Texas |
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| 34 | 35 | | Association of Journalism Educators in 2004, and he is a past |
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| 35 | 36 | | president of TASSP; moreover, he has been honored by the Texas Music |
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| 36 | 37 | | Educators Association, the Nick Finnegan Foundation, and the |
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| 37 | 38 | | Fellowship of Christian Athletes; in 2016, he was cited for |
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| 38 | 39 | | distinguished service in education by the Crystal Apple Society and |
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| 39 | 40 | | the education department of Tarleton State University; and |
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| 40 | 41 | | WHEREAS, James McSwain's broad expertise and effective |
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| 41 | 42 | | leadership have benefited Houston ISD students and educators for |
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| 42 | 43 | | nearly a quarter century, and he may indeed reflect with pride on |
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| 43 | 44 | | his many career achievements; now, therefore, be it |
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| 44 | 45 | | RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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| 45 | 46 | | Legislature hereby congratulate Dr. James A. McSwain on his |
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| 46 | 47 | | retirement from the Houston Independent School District and extend |
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| 47 | 48 | | to him sincere best wishes for continued success; and, be it further |
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| 48 | 49 | | RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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| 49 | 50 | | prepared for Dr. McSwain as an expression of high regard by the |
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| 50 | 51 | | Texas House of Representatives. |
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