Bill Text: VA HR296 | 2023 | Regular Session | Enrolled
Bill Title: Commending John B. Gordon III.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-02-13 - Bill text as passed House (HR296ER) [HR296 Detail]
Download: Virginia-2023-HR296-Enrolled.html
WHEREAS, John B. Gordon III, a dedicated educator and the current superintendent of Suffolk Public Schools, has given students throughout the Commonwealth the tools they need to achieve their fullest potential in and out of the classroom; and
WHEREAS, John Gordon is a passionate lifelong learner and holds degrees from the University of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University, and Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; and
WHEREAS, John Gordon began his career in education in 1995 as a teacher and basketball coach in Maryland; after relocating to the Commonwealth, he worked as a high school history teacher at schools in Richmond and Chesterfield and won several state titles as head basketball coach at Armstrong High School and Meadowbrook High School; and
WHEREAS, in 2005, John Gordon was appointed as the dean of students at Meadowbrook High School and was subsequently promoted to assistant principal; he later served as assistant principal of Monacan High School until 2009, when he became the first Black principal of James Monroe High School in Fredericksburg; and
WHEREAS, during his tenure at James Monroe High School, John Gordon worked diligently to close achievements gaps and help minority students achieve success in advanced placement and honors classes; in his final year as principal, the school was ranked in the top seven percent of high schools in the nation by U.S. News and World Report; and
WHEREAS, from 2014 to 2017, John Gordon served as director of administrative services for Fredericksburg City Public Schools; he helped bring the International Baccalaureate program to the school district and led the renovation of the Walker-Grant Center; and
WHEREAS, John Gordon next served as the chief of schools for Chesterfield County Public Schools from 2017 to 2019; he helped the school district to maintain full accreditation and promoted leadership development among his fellow educators and administrators; and
WHEREAS, John Gordon joined Suffolk Public Schools as superintendent in October 2019 and has continued his commitment to excellence in service to the teachers, administrators, and young people and their families; and
WHEREAS, John Gordon is the author of The Teacher's Lounge: The Real Role of Educators in Your Schools, and the president of Schools That Inspire, LLC, an educational consulting firm; he has shared his expertise with others in the field as an engaging speaker and presenter and has inspired future generations of educators as an adjunct professor at Eastern Mennonite University, the University of Mary Washington, and the University of Virginia; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED by the House of Delegates, That John B. Gordon III hereby be commended for his outstanding achievements as an educator and school administrator; and, be it
RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the House of Delegates prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to John B. Gordon III as an expression of the House of Delegates' admiration for his contributions to young people in Suffolk, Chesterfield, Fredericksburg, and Richmond.
