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R E S O L U T I O N
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WHEREAS, JoAnn Gama, cofounder and superintendent of IDEA |
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Public Schools, has deservedly been named one of the 2015 Pillars of |
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Success by The University of Texas--Pan American Alumni |
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Association; and |
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WHEREAS, The University of Texas--Pan American Alumni |
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Association honors outstanding graduates as Pillars of Success, |
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highlighting their motivational stories and achievements as |
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positive examples for current and future students; recipients of |
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the award come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, but |
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they have all shown dedication, integrity, and a commitment to |
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excellence in their specialized professions and in their |
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communities; and |
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WHEREAS, A Houston native, JoAnn Gama graduated from Sam |
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Houston High School in 1993 and attended Boston University on a full |
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scholarship; she earned a master's degree in educational |
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administration from The University of Texas--Pan American in 2003; |
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as part of the Teach for America program, she moved to Donna in 1997 |
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and taught fourth and fifth grade English as a Second Language |
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classes; after her first year, she was nominated by her peers as |
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Teacher of the Year; in 1998, she joined with another Teach for |
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America member to found the IDEA Academy as part of the Donna |
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Independent School District; and |
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WHEREAS, Following the academy's success with the district, |
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Ms. Gama applied for a state charter, and in August 2000, the IDEA |
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Academy Charter School opened with 150 students enrolled in fourth |
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through eighth grades; since then, Ms. Gama has been instrumental |
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in developing the IDEA Public School system, which currently |
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educates more than 15,000 students in 30 schools across the Rio |
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Grande Valley and in San Antonio and Austin; several of the schools |
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have garnered significant honors for their students' success, and |
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in 2009, IDEA Public Schools became the first charter to receive the |
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H-E-B Excellence in Education Award as the best school system in |
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Texas; in 2013, IDEA Donna, IDEA Quest, and IDEA Frontier were |
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ranked in the top one percent of all public high schools in the |
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nation; and |
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WHEREAS, Ms. Gama was the winner of the 2009 Peter Jennings |
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Award for Civic Leadership, and she was appointed to President |
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Barack Obama's White House Commission on Educational Excellence for |
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Hispanics in 2010; and |
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WHEREAS, Texas is fortunate to have passionate and engaged |
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educators like JoAnn Gama, and her contributions to the greater |
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good will resonate far into the future; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
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Legislature hereby congratulate JoAnn Gama on being named one of |
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the 2015 Pillars of Success by The University of Texas--Pan |
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American Alumni Association and extend to her sincere best wishes |
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for the future; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Ms. Gama as an expression of high regard by the Texas |
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House of Representatives. |
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Canales |
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______________________________ |
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Speaker of the House |
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I certify that H.R. No. 587 was adopted by the House on |
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February 26, 2015, by a non-record vote. |
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______________________________ |
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Chief Clerk of the House |
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