H.R. No. 62 R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Miguel Ignacio "Nacho" Tinajero, a bilingual 1-2 education teacher at Ramona Elementary School in El Paso, was 1-3 recently selected as one of four finalists for the National Teacher 1-4 of the Year award; and 1-5 WHEREAS, Presented by the United States Department of 1-6 Education, this prestigious award recognizes creativity, 1-7 intelligence, and excellence in teaching and is among the very 1-8 highest honors conferred upon an American educator; and 1-9 WHEREAS, Mr. Tinajero is acknowledged by students, parents, 1-10 and fellow teachers to be an imaginative and dedicated teacher; he 1-11 demands and receives nothing less than the best from his young 1-12 charges, many of whom are faced with the challenging task of 1-13 adapting to a new culture as well as a new language; and 1-14 WHEREAS, Recognizing that traditional teaching methods often 1-15 fail to reach bilingual students, Mr. Tinajero has developed many 1-16 innovative and effective programs to teach children both academic 1-17 and language skills; a perennial favorite of the fifth- and 1-18 sixth-graders at Ramona Elementary School, this energetic 1-19 instructor delights his young audiences with lessons set to the 1-20 musical accompaniment of the guitar; and 1-21 WHEREAS, Mr. Tinajero is a truly exceptional member of his 1-22 profession who instills in children a fervent love of learning and 1-23 who inspires his students to seek academic and personal excellence; 1-24 and 2-1 WHEREAS, He also serves as a shining example for all Texans 2-2 who have dedicated themselves to improving the quality of education 2-3 in this state, and his notable achievements are indeed worthy of 2-4 special legislative recognition and praise; now, therefore, be it 2-5 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 74th Texas 2-6 Legislature hereby congratulate Miguel Ignacio "Nacho" Tinajero on 2-7 being selected as a National Teacher of the Year finalist and 2-8 commend him for his many outstanding contributions to Texas 2-9 education; and, be it further 2-10 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-11 prepared for Mr. Tinajero as an expression of highest esteem by the 2-12 Texas House of Representatives.