81R23024 BPG-D

By: Harper-Brown H.R. No. 1481

R E S O L U T I O N

WHEREAS, Superintendent Jack Singley retired in March 2009 after 44 years of distinguished service to the Irving Independent School District; and

WHEREAS, Born and raised in Oklahoma, Mr. Singley won a baseball scholarship to Texas A&M University and went on to earn a bachelor's degree in mathematics and a master's degree in education there; he later completed a postgraduate program in administration at the University of North Texas to earn a Superintendent's Professional Certificate; and

WHEREAS, Mr. Singley began his career as a math teacher at MacArthur High School in 1965; three years later he became vice principal of Bowie Junior High, and his skill and commitment to excellence led him to a series of progressively more responsible positions, including high school principal, district personnel director, and district assistant superintendent for administration and personnel; he became superintendent in 1988; and

WHEREAS, During more than two decades leading Irving ISD, Mr. Singley provided stability and a firm hand as the community experienced dramatic demographic changes; he led successful bond elections to build schools to accommodate a growing enrollment, overseeing the addition of eight new campuses; in recent years, he made special efforts to recruit bilingual faculty and staff and made the district the first in the Dallas area to issue laptops to all high school students; and

WHEREAS, Through Mr. Singley's sound fiscal management, Irving ISD received the Superior Achievement rating from the School Financial Integrity Rating System of Texas five years in a row and was consistently listed among the top three most cost-efficient school districts in the state by the Education Resource Group, which ranked it No. 1 in both 2005 and 2006; and

WHEREAS, This dedicated administrator held himself and everyone in the district to high standards, serving as both a role model and a mentor to young educators; his chief focus was on the needs of Irving's children and of their instructors, and once, in explaining the district budget to a reporter, he categorized himself and other administrators as "just support staff for the classroom teacher"; and

WHEREAS, The American Association of School Administrators presented Mr. Singley with a 2004 President's Technology Award recognizing his leadership in the successful integration of technology in schools; he was named Region 10 Superintendent of the Year for 2002-2003, and his other accolades include a Life Membership Award from the Texas and National Congress of Parents and Teachers Associations and the Boy Scouts of America Silver Beaver Award; and

WHEREAS, Among his many affiliations, Mr. Singley is a member of the Texas Association of School Administrators, the American Association of School Administrators, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, and the Irving Retired Teachers Association; he has contributed to the wider community as a member of the Irving Rotary Club and a sustaining member of the Irving YMCA and the Boy Scouts of America Circle Ten Council; and

WHEREAS, In all of his endeavors, Mr. Singley has enjoyed the love and support of his wife, Carolyn, a retired English teacher, and their children, Brandt and Ryn; and

WHEREAS, Jack Singley served one of the longest terms of any superintendent in Texas, and his retirement truly marks the end of an era for Irving ISD; although he will be missed, he leaves behind a record of integrity and commitment to excellence that will resonate in the community for years to come; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 81st Texas Legislature hereby congratulate Jack Singley on the occasion of his retirement and commend him for his myriad achievements as superintendent of the Irving Independent School District; and, be it further

RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for him as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives.