Wednesday, October 22, 2008

Statement of Support for Professor William Ayers

October 14, 2008

We, the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Education Alumni Board, write to champion our colleague Professor William Ayers। A purpose of our Alumni Association is to “support the College’s mission of ensuring that all children and youth in America’s urban schools receive a quality education।” This charge describes Dr. Ayers’ contributions in our field and to Chicago; his work toward that end has been unceasing.

Dr। Ayers is a Distinguished Professor of Education and Senior University Scholar at the University of Illinois at Chicago, a nationally known scholar, member of the Faculty Senate at UIC, Vice President-elect of the American Educational Research Association, and a sought after speaker and visiting scholar at other universities. Throughout his twenty years as a valued faculty member at UIC, Dr. Ayers has taught, advised, mentored, and supported hundreds of undergraduate, Masters and Ph.D. students. Helping educators develop the capacity and ethical commitment to promote critical inquiry, dialogue, and debate; to encourage questioning and independent thinking; and to value the full humanity of every person and to work for access and equity are Professor Ayers’ essential commitments. His unflagging dedication to these goals is an inspiration to College of Education students and alumni.

We reject the recent and ongoing derogations of his character in the media and blogosphere, and by politicians, and stand beside Professor William Ayers, an advocate for education devoted to human enlightenment and liberation. That goal is also ours.

The University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) College of Education Alumni Board

Contacts:
Patrick O’Reilly, Vice President of UIC COE Alumni Board
Therese Quinn, Ph. D., Member of UIC COE Alumni Board

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Unfortunately, my contact with Bill Ayers is through his terrorist organization The Weather Underground. I was a police officer who watched as his group protested at JFKIA, against the South African Rugby Team touring the US. I watched and felt the pain as they threw vials of battery acid into the faces of the officers causing permanent damage to one detective's sight. He desrves to be in jail where he can teach as much as he likes.

Unknown said...

That protest was organized by another group and had nothing to do with Ayers or the Weather Underground, according to this report prepared for the US gov. :http://74.125.95.104/search?q=cache:A8eHSWFEY34J:www.rand.org/pubs/reports/2005/R3351.pdf+JFK+Airport+south+african+rugby+protest+1981&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=10&gl=us

Anonymous said...

I cannot believe that this person is not in jail. He broke the law and injured people and you sing his praises. Unbelievable. The only reason he is in education is so he has the opportunity to brainwash young people to think like him. GOD HELP US

Erica said...

It's too bad that there was so much negative press on Ayers during the last presidential campaign. I believe that people can change, and I believe that Ayers has changed his focus to the betterment of society in a more constructive way. Good for him!