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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Penny Smeltzer of the Round Rock Independent School |
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District has received the 2010 O'Donnell Texas AP Teacher Award; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, Presented by the Communities Foundation of Texas |
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with support from the David Nathan Meyerson Private Foundation, |
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this prestigious annual award recognizes an advanced placement |
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teacher in a Texas public high school who has excelled in inspiring |
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his or her students to master college-level work and who has |
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contributed significantly to the teaching profession; and |
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WHEREAS, Penny Smeltzer earned her undergraduate degree in |
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history, mathematics, and English from Western Michigan |
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University, and she went on to study statistics at Texas A&M |
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University and Austin Community College; and |
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WHEREAS, A veteran teacher with 31 years of experience, Ms. |
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Smeltzer leads classes in advanced placement statistics at Westwood |
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High School in Round Rock; she introduced her first AP statistics |
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course in 1996, and today she oversees an AP statistics program with |
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an enrollment of more than 200 students; not only is her program one |
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of the largest of its kind in the country, but its students |
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regularly post AP statistics exam scores that exceed the state and |
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national averages; and |
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WHEREAS, In addition to creating innovative strategies to |
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engage and motivate her students, Ms. Smeltzer has worked |
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extensively with the College Board, authoring materials and |
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presenting at conferences; the recipient of numerous other |
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accolades, she was honored for her outstanding teaching by the |
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Texas Exes in 2009 and was named the National AP Teacher of the Year |
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by the Siemens Foundation in 2008; and |
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WHEREAS, The advanced placement teachers of Texas play a |
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vital role in preparing their students for academic achievement, |
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and Penny Smeltzer's ability to inspire her students through her |
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skill, energy, and generosity has put her in the front rank of Texas |
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educators; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate Penny Smeltzer on her receipt of |
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the 2010 O'Donnell Texas AP Teacher Award and extend to her sincere |
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best wishes for continued success in her important work; and, be it |
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further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Smeltzer as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |