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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, Valerie Nelson of Walter L. Wilkinson Middle School |
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has been chosen by the Mesquite Independent School District Council |
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of PTAs as the 2010-2011 Secondary School Principal of the Year; and |
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WHEREAS, An educator for nearly two decades, Mrs. Nelson has |
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served as principal of Wilkinson Middle for three years, and in that |
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brief time she has significantly enhanced student performance; when |
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she arrived, the school was deemed "Acceptable" by the Texas |
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Education Agency and served a population reported to be more than 70 |
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percent economically disadvantaged; Mrs. Nelson worked closely |
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with faculty and staff to create a positive vision for the school |
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and its students, and by 2010, Wilkinson Middle had earned |
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"Recognized" status and was rated as exemplary in all but one |
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subject; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Nelson is a graduate of Grambling State |
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University in Louisiana, earning her bachelor's and master's |
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degrees in education in 1992 and 1995; she began her career in 1992 |
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as a remedial reading and math teacher and subsequently taught |
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first grade; she came to Texas in 1995 to work in Mesquite schools; |
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and |
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WHEREAS, For five years, she taught first and third grades at |
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Jay Thompson Elementary School while also completing a degree in |
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management at Texas A&M University--Commerce; in 2000, Mrs. Nelson |
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received the Mesquite ISD's highest honor when she was named an |
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Apple Corps teacher; soon thereafter, she became assistant |
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principal at Elsie Shands and J. C. Austin Elementary Schools, |
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dividing her time between the campuses for a year and then |
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continuing on at J. C. Austin Elementary through 2004, when she was |
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named principal of Mary L. Moss Elementary School; during her |
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tenure there, the school earned "Recognized" status for three |
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consecutive years; she has served in her current post at Wilkinson |
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Middle School since 2008; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Nelson has contributed to her professional |
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community through her membership in the Association for Supervision |
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and Curriculum Development, the Texas Association of Secondary |
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School Principals, and the Mesquite Education Association; she is |
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also active in the NAACP and the Dallas Alumnae chapter of Delta |
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Sigma Theta, Inc., and she serves as a leader of Troop No. 2923 of |
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the Girl Scouts of America; she has further distinguished herself |
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as a codirector of the children's ministry at the Mesquite |
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Friendship Baptist Church; and |
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WHEREAS, In all of her endeavors, Mrs. Nelson enjoys the love |
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and support of her husband of 14 years, Barrett, and she takes great |
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pride in their two children, Kyla and Khari; and |
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WHEREAS, The commitment to excellence that Valerie Nelson has |
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brought to her efforts at Wilkinson Middle School has inspired |
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faculty, staff, and students alike, and she is helping many young |
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Texans to acquire the skills they will need to build fulfilling and |
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productive lives; 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 Valerie Nelson on her selection as |
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the 2010-2011 Secondary School Principal of the Year by the |
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Mesquite Independent School District Council of PTAs and extend to |
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her sincere best wishes for continued success with her important |
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work; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mrs. Nelson as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives. |