SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 48
	WHEREAS, The Senate of the State of Texas is pleased
to recognize Teach For America corps members serving in
the independent school districts of Houston and the
Rio Grande Valley; and
	WHEREAS, Teach For America was founded by Wendy Kopp,
who envisioned the program in her 1989 senior thesis at
Princeton University; her innovative idea has grown into a 
nationwide program supported by President George W. Bush and
President Bill Clinton, by community and educational leaders, 
and by corporations and foundations; and
	WHEREAS, Teach For America places recent college graduates 
in two-year assignments as teachers in underresourced urban and 
rural schools in 18 areas around the country; and
	WHEREAS, Currently over 315 recent graduates serve in 
Teach For America in Houston and the Rio Grande Valley, directly 
affecting the lives of more than 27,000 students from 
kindergarten to 12th grade; since 1991, more than 1,150 Teach For 
America corps members have contributed to the education of 
approximately 98,000 young Texans in our state's public schools; 
and
	WHEREAS, Teach For America has been praised for providing 
excellent teachers, and corps members have been cited for closing 
the achievement gap between their students and students in more 
privileged areas; in addition, over 95 percent of school 
principals surveyed in the State of Texas have recently rated the 
corps members' overall impact on their schools as positive; and

	WHEREAS, The welfare of the State of Texas depends greatly 
on developing a well-educated citizenry, and Teach For America 
corps members have made an extraordinarily important 
contribution to this goal through their exemplary work in our 
state; now, therefore, be it
	RESOLVED, That the Senate of the State of Texas,
78th Legislature, hereby commend the Teach For America corps 
members serving in Houston and the Rio Grande Valley for their 
selfless dedication to educating Texas' greatest resource, its 
children; and, be it further
	RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution be prepared as an 
expression of esteem from the Texas Senate.
                                                                        Gallegos
                                                                        Ellis   




________________________________ 
    President of the Senate
 
    I hereby certify that the 
above Resolution was adopted by 
the Senate on March 18, 2003.



________________________________ 
    Secretary of the Senate



________________________________ 
     Member, Texas Senate



________________________________ 
     Member, Texas Senate