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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Dona Mitchell of the Lancaster Independent School |
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District was certified as a National Dropout Prevention Specialist |
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by the National Dropout Prevention Center in January 2021; and |
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WHEREAS, The NDPS certification program offers educators and |
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individuals who work with at-risk youth the opportunity to gain |
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additional expertise in strategies that increase graduation rates; |
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participants complete a number of professional learning |
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requirements and conduct a field project that identifies techniques |
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for improving student success; and |
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WHEREAS, For more than a decade, Mrs. Mitchell has worked |
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with Lancaster ISD as the administrative assistant and truancy |
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coordinator for the Lancaster Police Department; in 2018, she |
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secured funding to provide washers and dryers to four campuses, and |
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most recently, she helped implement Talk Time with the Judge, which |
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connects at-risk students with local judges to discuss issues that |
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affect school attendance, such as homelessness, mental illness, |
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bullying, and abuse; and |
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WHEREAS, Active in her professional community, Mrs. Mitchell |
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has held a number of leadership positions with the International |
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Association for Truancy and Dropout Prevention, currently serving |
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as president of the association's board of directors; in addition, |
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she established the DGM Foundation and became a National Runaway |
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Safeline representative; and |
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WHEREAS, Dona Mitchell has worked tirelessly to improve |
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educational outcomes for young Texans in Lancaster ISD, and this |
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impressive professional certification represents a new milestone |
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in her career; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 87th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Dona Mitchell on her certification |
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as a National Dropout Prevention Specialist by the National Dropout |
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Prevention Center and extend to her sincere best wishes for |
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continued success in her important work; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mrs. Mitchell as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |