By Dukes                                               H.R. No. 180
         76R5916 JHS-D                           
                                 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.