Jessica Bakeman at Capital NY reports a political price was just paid by two (now former) long-time members of the Board of Regents:
ALBANY—The two long-serving members of the state Board of Regents ousted by lawmakers on Tuesday were brave soldiers for the Common Core standards and other recent education reform efforts, board chancellor Merryl Tisch said.
And ultimately, she said, Robert Bennett and James Dawson, each of whom have served more than two decades, were casualties of recent battles over the controversial policies.
“Do I see these replacements as a reaction to what people are hearing in their home districts? Absolutely,” Tisch told reporters after members of the Assembly and Senate deliberated in a joint session for five hours on seven of the board’s 17 seats. “A lot is frustration. A lot is misinformation. But … these are remarkably courageous public servants who really stood on a front line and took a lot of incoming, a lot of incoming. [They] put themselves in public space a lot. [They] put themselves in harm’s way a lot.
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Ultimately, the Assembly Democrats, who control the process, booted Bennett and Dawson while re-electing three others, two of whom are among the loudest critics of the board’s policies. Lawmakers also chose four new members, all women with experience in public education. Three are minorities.
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Even though lawmakers were more vocally critical of the board last year, they made a much stronger statement on Tuesday, replacing two members who had served for more than two decades and electing four new members.
Bennett, former chancellor of the board who has served since 1995, and Dawson, a geology professor at SUNY Plattsburgh who has served since 1993, got word in the days before Tuesday's election that they would not be reappointed.
Make no mistake, the members of the Board of Regents have seen themselves as untouchable previous to last year, though with one Regent replaced last year and two more whacked this year, they should no longer view themselves that way.
A political price has been paid for shilling for deform and the potential exists for more functionaries to pay that price.
With Sheldon Silver under indictment for corruption and stripped of his speaker role, Regents Chancellor Tisch no longer has a protector in power to help her maintain her position.
She's next on the list to go.
I think Dragon Empress Tisch might want to take her victory lap now before she gets run out on a rail. The winds have shifted and Pretty Meryl's flanks are exposed. Sorry, I hope you haven't completely clawed out your mind's eye to be shut of that image.
ReplyDeleteMerry Tisch is an arrogant and just plain out-of-touch member of the ruling elite with millions in the bank. A doctorate and a short stint in a Hebrew school classroom DOES NOT make her fit to sit as Chancellor but, when you have a close friend like Shelly Silver things can happen like magic.
ReplyDeleteTisch rules with a "holier than thou" attitude that has grown really tiresome. Her position is not forever nor are folks going to tolerate her continued refusal to LISTEN to the education field and parents. The new Regents and the reappointed Regents will "tear Merryl a new one" if she continues to push her own agenda. A new wind is blowing in Albany and Ms. Tisch had better start to change her ways. The tide is turning and the guilty will fall!
Meryl Tisch represents the 1% who do not want to pay taxes from their obscenely high incomes to support the education of the rabble--particularly the brown skinned children! Now the top 1% are figuring out that they can corporatize America's one remaining democratizing institution--public education. Nice scam--limit what you pay in taxes--profit by running lucrative "non-profits" controlled by your 1% cronies--and act like you are serving the public. When the revolution comes Tisch should get the full Marie Antoinette treatment! We cannot wait one more year with Tuschie in charge. She is the chief spokesman for a brand of education that seeks to take critical thinking and social consciousness out of education and replace it with the goal of producing good employees who will never question the status quo. Tuschie wants to use education instituitons to keep us down! She cannot be allowed to continue in a leadership role!
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