Bill Text: TX HR587 | 2015-2016 | 84th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Congratulating JoAnn Gama on being named one of the 2015 Pillars of Success by The University of Texas--Pan American Alumni Association.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2015-03-01 - Reported enrolled [HR587 Detail]
Download: Texas-2015-HR587-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 587 | ||
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| WHEREAS, JoAnn Gama, cofounder and superintendent of IDEA | ||
| Public Schools, has deservedly been named one of the 2015 Pillars of | ||
| Success by The University of Texas--Pan American Alumni | ||
| Association; and | ||
| WHEREAS, The University of Texas--Pan American Alumni | ||
| Association honors outstanding graduates as Pillars of Success, | ||
| highlighting their motivational stories and achievements as | ||
| positive examples for current and future students; recipients of | ||
| the award come from a variety of backgrounds and experiences, but | ||
| they have all shown dedication, integrity, and a commitment to | ||
| excellence in their specialized professions and in their | ||
| communities; and | ||
| WHEREAS, A Houston native, JoAnn Gama graduated from Sam | ||
| Houston High School in 1993 and attended Boston University on a full | ||
| scholarship; she earned a master's degree in educational | ||
| administration from The University of Texas--Pan American in 2003; | ||
| as part of the Teach for America program, she moved to Donna in 1997 | ||
| and taught fourth and fifth grade English as a Second Language | ||
| classes; after her first year, she was nominated by her peers as | ||
| Teacher of the Year; in 1998, she joined with another Teach for | ||
| America member to found the IDEA Academy as part of the Donna | ||
| Independent School District; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Following the academy's success with the district, | ||
| Ms. Gama applied for a state charter, and in August 2000, the IDEA | ||
| Academy Charter School opened with 150 students enrolled in fourth | ||
| through eighth grades; since then, Ms. Gama has been instrumental | ||
| in developing the IDEA Public School system, which currently | ||
| educates more than 15,000 students in 30 schools across the Rio | ||
| Grande Valley and in San Antonio and Austin; several of the schools | ||
| have garnered significant honors for their students' success, and | ||
| in 2009, IDEA Public Schools became the first charter to receive the | ||
| H-E-B Excellence in Education Award as the best school system in | ||
| Texas; in 2013, IDEA Donna, IDEA Quest, and IDEA Frontier were | ||
| ranked in the top one percent of all public high schools in the | ||
| nation; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Ms. Gama was the winner of the 2009 Peter Jennings | ||
| Award for Civic Leadership, and she was appointed to President | ||
| Barack Obama's White House Commission on Educational Excellence for | ||
| Hispanics in 2010; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Texas is fortunate to have passionate and engaged | ||
| educators like JoAnn Gama, and her contributions to the greater | ||
| good will resonate far into the future; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby congratulate JoAnn Gama on being named one of | ||
| the 2015 Pillars of Success by The University of Texas--Pan | ||
| American Alumni Association and extend to her sincere best wishes | ||
| for the future; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for Ms. Gama as an expression of high regard by the Texas | ||
| House of Representatives. | ||
| Canales | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 587 was adopted by the House on | ||
| February 26, 2015, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
