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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Dr. Thomas R. Norris of McGregor is retiring as |
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executive director of Education Service Center Region 12 in June |
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2011, concluding an outstanding tenure in education that has |
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spanned four decades; and |
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WHEREAS, A graduate of Columbia College, Dr. Norris earned |
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his master's and doctoral degrees in educational administration |
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from Baylor University; he worked as a teacher in Milford and Waco |
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before accepting further responsibility in such roles as assistant |
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principal at Travis Middle School in Temple and principal at La |
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Marque Junior High in La Marque; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Norris went on to serve as director of secondary |
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curriculum and instruction, assistant superintendent for secondary |
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operations, and interim superintendent of Round Rock ISD before |
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being named superintendent of the district in 1994; in that |
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position, he was responsible for 33 campuses, including 11 Texas |
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Blue Ribbon and 8 National Blue Ribbon Schools, and the district's |
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27,300 students; and |
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WHEREAS, In 1998, Dr. Norris joined the Region 12 Education |
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Service Center, where he has overseen the development of a |
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continuous improvement/performance excellence model; Region 12 |
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encompasses 12 counties and serves 77 school districts and 13 |
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charter schools; under Dr. Norris's leadership, the center has |
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increased services to customers and trained more than 48,000 |
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participants in 2009-2010 alone; and |
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WHEREAS, Dr. Norris has shared his expertise as chair and |
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legislative chair of the Commissioner's Cabinet for Regional |
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Services, as a board member of the Greater Waco Community Education |
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Alliance and Academic Decathlon, and as a member of the Texas and |
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American Associations of School Administrators, Association for |
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Supervision and Curriculum Development, and Phi Delta Kappa; his |
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efforts have earned him a number of honors through the years, |
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including the title of Administrator of the Year from the Texas |
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Association of Journalism Educators; and |
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WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan has demonstrated a commitment to |
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excellence in all of his professional endeavors, and his hard work |
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and dedication have significantly benefited many schoolchildren |
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across the Lone Star State; 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 Dr. Thomas R. Norris on his |
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retirement as executive director of Education Service Center Region |
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12 and extend to him sincere best wishes for continued happiness; |
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and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Dr. Norris as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |