Geraldine Miller Resolution
WHEREAS Gov. Mark White could not have foreseen the far-reaching impact his 1984 decision to appoint a Dallas businesswoman and reading specialist to the State Board of Education would have on Texas public schools; and
WHEREAS that appointment began Geraldine “Tincy” Miller’s 32 years of dedicated service and leadership on this board; and
WHEREAS the citizens of District 12 showed their faith in her by electing her to this office in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2002, 2006, 2012 and 2014; and
WHEREAS during her tenure on the board, Mrs. Miller has chaired the Committee on Instruction and served as vice chair and chair of the board; and
WHEREAS Mrs. Miller’s focus has always been on doing what is best for Texas children; and
WHEREAS she became a champion for phonics-based education; and
WHEREAS Mrs. Miller helped shape every significant law or rule dealing with dyslexia and related disorders for three decades and has been the driving force behind the Dyslexia Handbook; and
WHEREAS this dedicated public servant has been involved in the development of every generation of the state’s curriculum standards, known as the Essential Elements and now the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills; and
WHEREAS she took seriously her duty to provide high-quality, error-free textbooks; and
WHEREAS Mrs. Miller has passionately protected the Permanent School Fund, which she reminds us is also known as the “Children’s Textbook Fund;” and
WHEREAS the Permanent School Fund has grown from $4.5 billion in 1984 to $34 billion today under her careful and prudent stewardship; and
WHEREAS she has just as carefully nurtured the State Board of Education itself, having personally underwritten the services of a professional parliamentarian for several years; and paid more than her fair share for cookies, coffee, and flowers for board members over the years; and
WHEREAS Geraldine Miller’s desire to remind the board to focus on what’s best for children served as the impetus for the creation of the bronze statue found in the Travis lobby that shows the world opening to children through books; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That though her nickname is Tincy, there is nothing tiny about her commitment to this state and its children; and be it further
RESOLVED, That this board expresses its gratitude and admiration to this good and faithful public servant for her three decades of service on the State Board of Education.
WITNESS our signatures this sixteenth day of November, two thousand and eighteen, in Austin, Texas.
___________________
Donna Bahorich, Chair
______________________
Ruben Cortez, Jr., Secretary
WHEREAS that appointment began Geraldine “Tincy” Miller’s 32 years of dedicated service and leadership on this board; and
WHEREAS the citizens of District 12 showed their faith in her by electing her to this office in 1988, 1992, 1996, 2002, 2006, 2012 and 2014; and
WHEREAS during her tenure on the board, Mrs. Miller has chaired the Committee on Instruction and served as vice chair and chair of the board; and
WHEREAS Mrs. Miller’s focus has always been on doing what is best for Texas children; and
WHEREAS she became a champion for phonics-based education; and
WHEREAS Mrs. Miller helped shape every significant law or rule dealing with dyslexia and related disorders for three decades and has been the driving force behind the Dyslexia Handbook; and
WHEREAS this dedicated public servant has been involved in the development of every generation of the state’s curriculum standards, known as the Essential Elements and now the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills; and
WHEREAS she took seriously her duty to provide high-quality, error-free textbooks; and
WHEREAS Mrs. Miller has passionately protected the Permanent School Fund, which she reminds us is also known as the “Children’s Textbook Fund;” and
WHEREAS the Permanent School Fund has grown from $4.5 billion in 1984 to $34 billion today under her careful and prudent stewardship; and
WHEREAS she has just as carefully nurtured the State Board of Education itself, having personally underwritten the services of a professional parliamentarian for several years; and paid more than her fair share for cookies, coffee, and flowers for board members over the years; and
WHEREAS Geraldine Miller’s desire to remind the board to focus on what’s best for children served as the impetus for the creation of the bronze statue found in the Travis lobby that shows the world opening to children through books; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That though her nickname is Tincy, there is nothing tiny about her commitment to this state and its children; and be it further
RESOLVED, That this board expresses its gratitude and admiration to this good and faithful public servant for her three decades of service on the State Board of Education.
WITNESS our signatures this sixteenth day of November, two thousand and eighteen, in Austin, Texas.
___________________
Donna Bahorich, Chair
______________________
Ruben Cortez, Jr., Secretary