Teachers College, Columbia University, will honor Merryl Tisch at its 2013 Convocation.
As Chancellor of the New York Board of Regents, Tisch has launched the state’s most demanding regime of high-stakes testing in history. Teachers College specifically congratulates Tisch’s leadership not only in tying test scores to teacher evaluations but in tying test scores to the school of education that prepared the teachers.
The press release notes these accomplishments:
“TC alumna Merryl Tisch, Chancellor of the New York State Board of Regents. Tisch will speak at the first master’s degree ceremony on May 21st, which starts at 9:30 a.m. As Chancellor, Tisch, a former first-grade teacher, has championed public education as “the greatest civic and civil liberties issue of our time.” She galvanized the state’s bid to receive federal Race to the Top funding, helping persuade teachers unions and other players to commit to increased charter school development and creation of a system that substantially based a teacher’s performance evaluation on students’ test scores. She has spearheaded creation of a statewide data system that ties student performance to specific teacher input – and to the school of education that prepared that teacher. On her watch, the state has provided annual $2 million grants to low-performing schools that have a demonstrated plan for turn-around. And she has expanded teacher preparation beyond the standard range of players and perspectives, leading the way in accrediting new preparation programs housed in museums and other non-traditional venues.”
The last sentence of he press release means that the Board of Regents is willing to let non-traditional providers–like museums and perhaps KIPP and TFA–award masters’ degrees instead of stodgy traditional places like Teachers College and other university-based programs.
Some TC students and faculty are dismayed ad have suggested that they might organize a protest.
The president of Teachers College, Susan Fuhrman, is a member of the board of directors of Pearson, the testing behemoth. Personally, I think this is a conflict of interest, but that’s just me.
To see a different side of Teachers College, once proud bearer of the progressive education banner, read this article by the distinguished psychologist Edmund Gordon, who says that the current misuse of standardized testing is “immoral.”
Dr. Fuhrman, Chancellor Tisch, pease read what Professor Gordon wrote. Then look in the mirror.
PS: I received a 2011 alumnae achievement award from TC. When I learned that Cathie Black–the recently named Chancellor of the NYC public schools–had been invited to deliver the keynote at the event, I declined to attend. Her resume proved that neither education nor experience was necessary. she was a refutation of all i thought TC stood for. She was fired before the event.
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