News Room

Shapleigh honors education leader
January 1, 2005

Educator who changed Texas’ education system wins January

Written by Senator Eliot Shapleigh, Press Release

News118

James R. Vasquez, the executive director of the Region 19 Education Service

EL PASO - The December winner of Senator Eliot Shapleigh’s "Adelante Con Ganas" award, which is given to “an ordinary person who is doing extraordinary deeds,” is an El Paso educator who in the 1980s changed the way Texas viewed its schools.

The award is being given to the James R. Vasquez, the executive director of the Region 19 Education Service Center in El Paso. Vasquez became a nationally known educator when he lead the Edgewood vs. Kirby lawsuit to equalize funding for education in Texas.

“One man back then had the courage to stand up to every Texas leader and say they were wrong and they were hurting our children,” Senator Eliot Shapleigh said in giving him the award. “It will be interesting to see who will have the courage to lead Texas into doing the right thing this year.”

The number one issue for the Texas Legislature entering next week’s session is to solve the public school funding issue. In 2003, the legislature ended the equalized funding programs that came from the Edgewood vs. Kirby lawsuit filed by James Vasquez. As a result of that lawsuit, El Paso area schools now receive millions of dollars more each year to educate students.

Mr. Vasquez was the superintendent of Edgewood ISD in San Antonio from 1978 to 1991.

The Con Ganas award is awarded the first week of each month by Senator Shapleigh. Nominations are solicited throughout the month and must be for “ordinary people who are doing extraordinary deeds.”

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