We are thrilled to announce that LIZ PHILLIPS, Principal of PS 321 in Brooklyn, will receive Morningside Centers COURAGEOUS EDUCATOR AWARD at our 5th annual Courageous Schools Conference on Saturday, May 17, at Bank Street College, NYC.
Liz Phillips, who has been principal of PS 321 for 15 years, is a dedicated educator who has long understood the importance of fostering social and emotional learning and a sense of social responsibility in young people.
In recent months she has been modeling social responsibility -- and courage -- very visibly, as she has stood up and spoken out about New York States high-stakes tests. In a New York Times op-ed, Phillips questioned the lack of transparency surrounding the tests, their high-stakes nature, and the quality of the tests themselves. Phillips explained why she had joined hundreds of parents, teachers, and students at a protest rally at her school the day after the test:
We were not protesting testing; we were not protesting the Common Core standards. We were protesting the fact that we had just witnessed children being asked to answer questions that had little bearing on their reading ability and yet had huge stakes for students, teachers, principals and schools
.We were protesting the fact that it is our word against the states, since we cannot reveal the content of the passages or the questions that were asked.
We are honored that Liz Phillips will be accepting the Courageous Educator Award at our conference on May 17.
If you aren't already registered to attend the conference, you are welcome to join us at 4 pm to cheer Liz on as she receives the award.