Noon Today: TEACHERS COLLEGE STUDENTS AND FACULTY TO PROTEST AWARD TO MERRYL TISCH, NYS BOARD OF REGENTS CHANCELLOR

We've been reporting on this for a week as various parents, faculty and student groups have petitions going. But today is the live protest by students, faculty and alumni of TC. The protest is as much against the actions of TC President Susan Fuhrman who is on the board of the Pearson test giant as it is against Tisch. TC students go there because many are progressive educators opposed to the high stakes testing regime while TC itself has blood on its hands in many ways. The alumni I know are outraged.

A group based at TC, Edu4, has a web site Edu4.

Check out this powerhouse School Book piece by Change the Stakes member Fred Smith on the exploding student, parent, alumni protest of the selection of Regent Merryl Tisch to be honored at tomorrow’s graduation. 





MEDIA ALERT FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                  MAY 20, 2013

Press Contacts:
Daiyu Suzuki: (646) 546-2513, daiyu.suzuki@gmail.com
Sulafa Khalid-Musa: (917) 600-7607, smk2194@tc.columbia.edu

 TEACHERS COLLEGE STUDENTS AND FACULTY TO PROTEST

AWARD TO MERRYL TISCH,
NYS BOARD OF REGENTS CHANCELLOR

WHEN:             TUESDAY, MAY 21
TIME:               12:00 NOON
WHAT:              TEACHERS COLLEGE CONVOCATION
WHERE:           IN FRONT of CATHEDRAL OF ST. JOHN THE DIVINE
                        112th ST. AND AMSTERDAM AVENUE, NYC



WHY: 

At tomorrow’s graduation ceremony Merryl Tisch, Chancellor of New York State Board of Regents, is to be a speaker and receive an award from Teachers College. Tisch is a driving force behind the state’s policies of high-stakes testing in the public schools and the promotion of charter schools. Critics of these policies include TC graduates and other students as well as members of TC faculty, staff, and alumni.

Many TC students and faculty members state that Chancellor Tisch’s policies hurt children and damage all public schools, and most drastically damage schools that serve middle-class and poor families. In contrast, there are no high-stakes tests in elite private schools, where Chancellor Tisch’s children studied and where she taught. TC community members also object to TC President Susan Fuhrman’s unilateral decision to honor Chancellor Tisch with an award at their graduation.

Students, including graduates coming out of the convocation, and a number of faculty members are prepared to be interviewed by the press. They will share their photos of the protest as well.