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CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
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WHEREAS, Acclaimed educator Barbara Jean Bolden Yarbrough of |
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Midland is celebrating her 90th birthday on August 29, 2025, to the |
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great delight of her family, her friends, and the many former |
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students who are gathering to honor her; and |
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WHEREAS, Born in Franklin, Louisiana, in 1935, the former |
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Barbara Bolden earned her bachelor's degree in art education from |
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Texas Southern University; she was hired as an art teacher at |
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Midland's George Washington Carver Junior-Senior High School in |
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1959; later, she transitioned to preschool and first grade |
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instruction, and in 1973, she began her long and noteworthy tenure |
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on the faculty of Pease/South Elementary School; while mentoring a |
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host of youngsters, helping them to reach their fullest potential, |
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she took on a number of leadership roles; she served as president of |
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both the District Coordinating Council and the Midland Classroom |
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Teachers Association and as chair of the Midland Independent School |
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District Teachers Communication Committee; moreover, she was an |
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adjunct professor at The University of Texas Permian Basin and |
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Howard Bible College; and |
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WHEREAS, Mrs. Yarbrough retired in 1996, only to embark on a |
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new chapter spanning upwards of a quarter century as a parent |
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liaison for the South Elementary community; in addition, she has |
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supported a variety of educational initiatives and volunteered at |
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MISD football games; she has further benefited the community |
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through her efforts in behalf of the Midland County Child Welfare |
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Board, the Midland Community Action Agency Head Start Program, the |
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Texas Workforce Center, and the United Way of Midland, among |
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numerous other organizations; and |
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WHEREAS, In 2015, Midland ISD named Yarbrough Elementary |
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School in her honor; Mrs. Yarbrough is the recipient of the |
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prestigious 2021-2022 LifeChanger of the Year Grand Prize, |
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conferred by the National Life Group on an educator who exemplifies |
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the highest ideals of the profession; Texas Monthly magazine |
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profiled her as the Most Inspiring Educator in the Country, and |
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among myriad accolades, she also garnered the Jefferson Award and |
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Retired Teacher of the Year Award from the Texas Classroom Teachers |
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Association; and |
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WHEREAS, Barbara Yarbrough has left an indelible mark on the |
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community, and this milestone in her life affords a welcome |
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opportunity for family, friends, and former students to express |
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their love and admiration; now, therefore, be it |
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RESOLVED, That the 89th Legislature of the State of Texas, |
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2nd Called Session, hereby congratulate Barbara Jean Bolden |
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Yarbrough on the occasion of her 90th birthday and extend to her |
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sincere best wishes for continued happiness; and, be it further |
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RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be |
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prepared for Mrs. Yarbrough as an expression of high regard by the |
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Texas House of Representatives and Senate. |