Bill Text: TX HR1549 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending Margaret Taylor Smith for her efforts in behalf of Texans with learning disabilities.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2019-05-17 - Reported enrolled [HR1549 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HR1549-Enrolled.html
H.R. No. 1549 |
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WHEREAS, Margaret Taylor Smith has made a meaningful | ||
difference in the lives of countless Texans with dyslexia and other | ||
learning disabilities during her outstanding career as an educator, | ||
author, speaker, and advocate; and | ||
WHEREAS, Ms. Smith graduated from Baylor University and went | ||
on to receive a master's degree in education from Texas A&M | ||
University-Commerce; she taught in public schools for 12 years | ||
before earning a dyslexia therapist certification and beginning to | ||
teach special education classes in Dallas; troubled by the lack of | ||
resources and curriculum guidelines for teachers of students with | ||
learning disabilities, she worked on developing her own materials, | ||
and she eventually shared this project with the world when she | ||
released Multisensory Teaching Approach for Reading, Spelling, and | ||
Handwriting in 1987 through her company, MTS Publications; and | ||
WHEREAS, A respected authority on learning disabilities, | ||
Ms. Smith has written a number of other publications on the | ||
subject, trained thousands of dyslexia therapists and teachers in | ||
Texas and beyond, and advocated for state laws that provide vital | ||
services to students with dyslexia; she also helped to develop the | ||
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for English Language Arts | ||
curriculum through her involvement with the Texas Education Agency; | ||
and | ||
WHEREAS, Ms. Smith has held leadership roles with the | ||
International Multisensory Structured Language Education Council | ||
and the Academic Language Therapy Association Centers Council, and | ||
she is a valued member of the International Dyslexia Association; | ||
furthermore, she has served as associate director of the Dean | ||
Teacher Training Center and taught at A&M-Commerce and Southern | ||
Methodist University; and | ||
WHEREAS, This esteemed Texan has received numerous accolades | ||
over the years, including the Aylett R. Cox Educator Award from the | ||
Academic Language Therapy Association and the Distinguished Alumni | ||
Award from Forney High School, and Smith Elementary School in | ||
Forney was named in her honor; and | ||
WHEREAS, Margaret Smith has worked tirelessly to provide | ||
young people with dyslexia and other learning disabilities with a | ||
strong educational foundation on which to build, and she is indeed | ||
deserving of recognition for her accomplishments in this crucial | ||
endeavor; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 86th Texas | ||
Legislature hereby commend Margaret Taylor Smith for her efforts in | ||
behalf of Texans with learning disabilities and extend to her | ||
sincere best wishes for continued success with her important work; | ||
and, be it further | ||
RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
prepared for Ms. Smith as an expression of high regard by the Texas | ||
House of Representatives. | ||
Bell of Kaufman | ||
______________________________ | ||
Speaker of the House | ||
I certify that H.R. No. 1549 was adopted by the House on May | ||
17, 2019, by a non-record vote. | ||
______________________________ | ||
Chief Clerk of the House | ||