R E S O L U T I O N 1-1 WHEREAS, Maria Guadalupe "Lupe" Ramos, a bilingual education 1-2 teacher at the Austin Independent School District's Harris 1-3 Elementary School, has been named the National Association for 1-4 Bilingual Education's 1999 Bilingual Teacher of the Year; and 1-5 WHEREAS, This dedicated educator's self-assurance and 1-6 confidence enable her to reach out to others and to make positive 1-7 contributions to her community; her teaching philosophy is based on 1-8 empowering her students and encouraging them to become critical 1-9 thinkers, lifelong learners, and inquisitive individuals; and 1-10 WHEREAS, Ms. Ramos is a careful and keen observer of her 1-11 students, and by setting realistic, yet challenging, expectations, 1-12 she helps these young Texans to discover their talents and develop 1-13 those strengths to the fullest potential; and 1-14 WHEREAS, An advocate of student-centered teaching, Ms. Ramos 1-15 recognizes that the learning environment is the key factor in the 1-16 education of children, and she strives to promote activities that 1-17 are inviting to young people, appealing to multiple interests, and 1-18 representative of the multiple age groups, ethnicities, cultures, 1-19 and languages that she encounters; and 1-20 WHEREAS, Ms. Ramos emphasizes reading as the basis of all 1-21 learning, and she believes that dual-language instruction allows 1-22 students to develop bi-literacy; by using a child's first language 1-23 as a framework for the acquisition of additional languages, she has 1-24 achieved substantial and positive results in the field of bilingual 2-1 education; and 2-2 WHEREAS, During her tenure at Harris Elementary School, 2-3 Ms. Ramos has had a positive effect on countless students, 2-4 teachers, parents, administrators, curriculum developers, and 2-5 policy makers through her tireless dedication and commitment to 2-6 excellence, and it is indeed a privilege to honor her and pay 2-7 tribute to her many successes at this time; now, therefore, be it 2-8 RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 76th Texas 2-9 Legislature hereby recognize Maria Guadalupe "Lupe" Ramos for her 2-10 noteworthy service as a teacher and congratulate her on her receipt 2-11 of the National Association for Bilingual Education's 1999 2-12 Bilingual Teacher of the Year Award; and, be it further 2-13 RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be 2-14 prepared for Ms. Ramos as an expression of high regard by the Texas 2-15 House of Representatives. Dukes Salinas _______________________________ Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 180 was adopted by the House on March 3, 1999, by a non-record vote. _______________________________ Chief Clerk of the House