"It's my pleasure to congratulate Merryl Tisch on being elected Chancellor of the State Board of Regents, which supervises all schools in New York. As anyone who has worked with her knows, Merryl is a fiercely independent first-rate thinker, and she has been a strong voice for reform. I have great admiration for her commitment to public education, and for her determination to do whatever is necessary to meet our shared goals: raising achievement levels and graduation rates in all communities. Even when we disagree on a particular strategy, I know she always has the best interests of children in mind. Merryl has dedicated her life to making the world a better place for our children and for those who are less fortunate, and the Board of Regents could not have made a better choice."