| |
| |
|
|
R E S O L U T I O N
|
|
|
WHEREAS, Those Texans who give generously of their time and |
|
|
talents to benefit the larger community make the world a better |
|
|
place through their actions and their example, and Dr. Paula |
|
|
Francis-Richardson of Port Arthur is one such person; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, A native of Port Arthur, Dr. Francis-Richardson |
|
|
graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School; she pursued her higher |
|
|
education at Texas Southern University, where she earned her degree |
|
|
and became involved in the Houston Voter Registration Project; she |
|
|
later went on to complete her Ph.D. in humanities at Shreveport |
|
|
Bible College; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Dr. Francis-Richardson was employed as a program |
|
|
consultant in the governor's office, overseeing the Job Training |
|
|
Partnership Act in five regions, and she later worked with |
|
|
proprietary schools for the Texas Education Agency; she returned to |
|
|
her hometown in 1993 and began her career in the classroom, serving |
|
|
as a teacher with the Port Arthur Independent School District; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, This esteemed educator established the Tekoa |
|
|
Academy of Accelerated Studies in August 1999, originally serving |
|
|
students from kindergarten through sixth grade; today, the school |
|
|
operates an additional campus in Orange and provides a |
|
|
comprehensive education to pre-K through 12th grade students; |
|
|
moreover, Dr. Francis-Richardson's valuable knowledge and |
|
|
expertise leading Tekoa have helped the institution earn STEM |
|
|
school recognition from the state comptroller's office; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Respected within her profession, |
|
|
Dr. Francis-Richardson is a member of a number of worthwhile |
|
|
organizations, including the Association for Supervision and |
|
|
Curriculum Development and the Texas Charter School Association; |
|
|
she has participated in the Brookings Institution executive |
|
|
leadership program and the National Political Congress of Black |
|
|
Women, and she is a lifetime member of the NAACP; in addition, she |
|
|
has served area citizens through her tenure as vice president of the |
|
|
Port Arthur Economic Development Corporation; and |
|
|
WHEREAS, Dr. Francis-Richardson has demonstrated an |
|
|
exceptional commitment to providing many Texans with a strong |
|
|
academic foundation on which to build, and it is a privilege to |
|
|
honor her for her accomplishments; now, therefore, be it |
|
|
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 84th Texas |
|
|
Legislature hereby commend Dr. Paula Francis-Richardson on her |
|
|
outstanding contributions to the betterment of her community 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 Dr. Francis-Richardson as an expression of high regard |
|
|
by the Texas House of Representatives. |