IV 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. RES. 351 

Congratulating and honoring Rodney Robinson on receiving the 2019 National 

Teacher of the Year Award. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

MAY 2, 2019 

Mr. MCEACHIN (for himself, Mr. WITTMAN, Mr. CONNOLLY, Mr. GRIFFITH, 

Mr. BEYER, Mr. CLINE, Mrs. LURIA, Mr. RIGGLEMAN, Ms. 

SPANBERGER, and Ms. WEXTON) submitted the following resolution; 

which was referred to the Committee on Education and Labor 

RESOLUTION 

Congratulating and honoring Rodney Robinson on receiving 

the 2019 National Teacher of the Year Award. 

Whereas, on April 24, 2019, Rodney Robinson was named 

National Teacher of the Year by the Council of Chief 

State School Officers; 

Whereas Rodney Robinson is a social studies teacher at 

Virgie Binford Education Center inside the Richmond 

Juvenile Detention Center; 

Whereas since he began teaching at Virgie Binford Education 

Center in 2015, Mr. Robinson has worked with disadvantaged youth, equipping them with the knowledge, skills, 

and confidence necessary to move forward and accomplish their goals; 


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•HRES 351 IH 

Whereas Mr. Robinson’s work to help our most vulnerable 

students achieve educational excellence has improved the 

academic performance of countless students, strengthening reading proficiency and working to ensure students 

graduate on time; 

Whereas Mr. Robinson helps disadvantaged youth realize 

their full potential by boosting self-esteem and creating 

a nurturing, safe, and inclusive environment where every 

student is encouraged to discuss the issues in their communities and past; 

Whereas Mr. Robinson inspires his students to overcome 

their challenges and achieve their dreams by adorning the 

barren walls of Virgie Binford Education Center with college pennants and photos of inspirational historical figures; 

Whereas Mr. Robinson is quoted as saying, ‘‘My kids have 

overcome some tremendous odds and been through some 

traumatic, horrific circumstances, yet they still triumph, 

they still have dreams, they will want to be doctors and 

lawyers and everything you can [think] of . . . Helping 

kids channel all that energy and dreams into something 

positive where they can see an outcome and a result, that 

is what I love most about teaching.’’; 

Whereas while attending the Yale National Initiative, Mr. 

Robinson developed his own student-focused curriculum 

for his social studies classes, empowering students to advocate for societal change by exploring social justice 

issues, the history of the United States prison system, 

the effects of racial segregation, and more; 


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•HRES 351 IH 

Whereas Mr. Robinson was inspired to become a teacher by 

his mother and has been teaching in Richmond, Virginia, 

for over 19 years; 

Whereas Mr. Robinson received his bachelor’s degree in history from Virginia State University and his master’s degree in educational administration and supervision from 

Virginia Commonwealth University; 

Whereas prior to teaching at Virgie Binford Education Center, Mr. Robinson taught at several other schools in the 

greater Richmond area, including Lucille Brown Middle 

School, George Wythe High School, and Armstrong High 

School; 

Whereas Mr. Robinson is the first teacher from Richmond 

Public Schools to receive this prestigious award, and just 

the third in the history of the Commonwealth of Virginia; 

Whereas Mr. Robinson was selected for this award from 

among 57 award-winning teachers out of the more than 

3.6 million teachers nationally; 

Whereas, as Teacher of the Year, Mr. Robinson will travel 

the country for the next year to advocate for ‘‘economic 

and cultural equity’’, seeking to ensure that all students 

have the resources necessary to be successful and working to increase the number of teachers of color in public 

school systems; 

Whereas teachers are indispensable mentors in our society; 

and 

Whereas the continued and future success of America is intimately dependent on the vital work of the Nation’s educators: Now, therefore, be it 

1 Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 


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•HRES 351 IH 

1 (1) congratulates and honors Rodney Robinson 

2 on receiving the 2019 National Teacher of the Year 

3 Award; 

4 (2) celebrates all four finalists for the National 

5 Teacher of the Year Award for their remarkable 

6 service and commitment to America’s youth; and 

7 (3) respectfully requests that the Clerk of the 

8 House of Representatives transmits an enrolled copy 

9 of this resolution to— 

10 (A) Rodney Robinson, the recipient of the 

11 2019 National Teacher of the Year Award; and 

12 (B) Jason Kamras, the Superintendent of 

13 Richmond Public Schools. 

Æ 


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