I am thrilled to join all the distinguished members of the Teachers College community: faculty members, students and staff; alumni who are teachers, doctors, nurses, psychologists, patients, parents, nonprofit leaders and workers, politicians and career civil servants, and entrepreneurs and members of the business community; and, of course, neighbors of Teachers College, Columbia University.
The 2020 Teachers College Annual Report celebrates our collective efforts to care for one another over this past year, a time when we worked together for the common good under the most trying circumstances. The report highlights a myriad of ways that members of the TC community worked to create a smarter, healthier, more equitable and just society, not only by combating existing inequities so egregiously magnified by the pandemic but also by working toward systemic change so that, when the pandemic has ended, we all have a better chance to thrive.
You will learn, for example, how the staff of TC’s Laurie M. Tisch Center for Food, Education & Policy and local communities in four American cities worked together during the pandemic to ensure that all people had enough food and that the food was nutritious and healthy. You will see how Associate Professor of Economics & Education Jordan Matsudaira — now Deputy Undersecretary of Education — developed methodology to frequently estimate poverty rates in the United States, rather than the standard practice of only once a year, so that policymakers could prevent especially low-paid wage earners from being locked into poverty. The report celebrates alumni serving selflessly and tirelessly in schools and clinics, and courageously in emergency rooms and intensive care units in our local hospitals. It tells the stories of how TC psychologists and their students in training are alleviating anxiety and depression associated with the COVID pandemic, and of how TC-trained social entrepreneurs are repudiating racism and hate while promoting equity and social justice.
The knowledge we have gained and our impact on human well-being will drive positive changes in practices and policies for years to come.
Just as important, I believe, has been our modeling of what TC President Thomas Bailey has called “the power of We,” which emphasizes that Teachers College is a community without boundaries. The stories in this annual report describe partnerships among faculty and students, the College and its alumni, TC and its surrounding neighborhoods and New York City schools, and organizations around the world. These collaborations embody a philosophy that dates back to one of TC’s most iconic figures, John Dewey, reflecting his concern for revitalizing education and rebuilding community and democracy at the local level.
I’m honored to be part of the Teachers College community, and I look forward to working together with all of our fellow community members as we continue on this wonderful journey.
Kelly S. Moody
Vice President for Development & External Affairs