TITLE: Honoring Teach For America founder and native Texan Wendy Kopp.

SUMMARY: Honoring Teach For America founder and native Texan Wendy Kopp.

FULL TEXT:
WHEREAS, Native Texan Wendy Kopp has made a significant contribution to public education as the founder and CEO of Teach For America; and WHEREAS, A graduate of Highland Park High School in Dallas, Ms. Kopp earned her bachelor's degree from Princeton University in 1989; for her undergraduate thesis, she proposed the creation of a program that would allow top college students to make a positive difference in the world by teaching in economically disadvantaged schools; she went on to make that vision a reality by founding Teach For America in 1990; as a 21-year-old, this remarkable Texan raised $2.5 million in start-up funding, hired a staff, and recruited 500 men and women from across the country who shared her vision; and WHEREAS, Today, under Ms. Kopp's able guidance, Teach For America benefits more than 500,000 students; currently, the organization recruits, trains, and employs 8,000 teachers who serve in 39 regions across the country; these recent college graduates and professionals commit to two years of service in urban and rural schools in low-income communities, and in Texas, their contributions are bolstering student achievement in the Rio Grande Valley, Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio; and WHEREAS, With passion and determination, Wendy Kopp has dedicated more than two decades to improving public education, and in so doing, she is helping to transform the lives of countless young men and women across the state and nation; now, therefore, be it RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 82nd Texas Legislature hereby commend Wendy Kopp for her exceptional social entrepreneurship and extend to her sincere best wishes for continued success with her important work in behalf of educational equity and excellence; and, be it further RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be prepared for Ms. Kopp as an expression of high regard by the Texas House of Representatives. Patrick Villarreal Eissler Branch Gonzales of Hidalgo Straus Gonzales of Williamson Morrison Aliseda Gonzalez Munoz, Jr. Allen Gooden Murphy Alonzo Guillen Naishtat Alvarado Gutierrez Nash Anchia Hamilton Oliveira Anderson of Dallas Hancock Orr Anderson of McLennan Hardcastle Otto Aycock Harless Parker Beck Harper-Brown Patrick Berman Hartnett Paxton Bohac Hernandez Luna Pena Bonnen Hilderbran Perry Branch Hochberg Phillips Brown Hopson Pickett Burkett Howard of Fort Bend Pitts Burnam Howard of Travis Price Button Huberty Quintanilla Cain Hughes Raymond Callegari Hunter Reynolds Carter Isaac Riddle Castro Jackson Ritter Chisum Johnson Rodriguez Christian Keffer Schwertner Coleman King of Parker Scott Cook King of Taylor Sheets Craddick King of Zavala Sheffield Creighton Kleinschmidt Shelton Crownover Kolkhorst Simpson Darby Kuempel Smith of Harris Davis of Dallas Landtroop Smith of Tarrant J. Davis of Harris Larson Smithee S. Davis of Harris Laubenberg Solomons Deshotel Lavender Strama Driver Legler Taylor of Collin Dukes Lewis Taylor of Galveston Dutton Lozano Thompson Eiland Lucio III Torres Eissler Lyne Truitt Elkins Madden Turner Farias Mallory Caraway Veasey Farrar Margo Villarreal Fletcher Marquez Vo Flynn Martinez Walle Frullo Martinez Fischer Weber Gallego McClendon White Garza Menendez Woolley Geren Miles Workman Giddings Miller of Comal Zedler Gonzales of Hidalgo Miller of Erath Zerwas Speaker of the House I certify that H.R. No. 1512 was adopted by the House on May 4, 2011, by a non-record vote. Chief Clerk of the House