FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Burlingame – It is with regret and sorrow that the California Teachers Association today announced the passing of one of its leaders. Mary "Lois" Tinson, former president of the statewide teachers' organization, died during the Christmas holidays at Daniel Freeman Hospital in Los Angeles after an extensive illness. Funeral services are scheduled for Saturday.
"Lois was a gifted educator, strong advocate and a good friend to all who knew her," said CTA President Barbara E. Kerr. Kerr served as CTA Secretary-Treasurer when Tinson was President. "She was committed to public education and helping all children succeed. She worked hard to secure sufficient funding for California schools and was instrumental in reducing class sizes in the lower grades. This is a great loss to the education community and to everyone who knew Lois. We will miss her."
During her tenure as CTA President, Tinson led efforts to secure passage of the state's landmark Class Size Reduction law, which reduced class sizes for millions of students in kindergarten through third grade. She also established CTA as a significant political force on behalf of California public schools and public school children, leading the association's fight to defeat Proposition 226, which threatened to silence the voices of teachers and working families.
Tinson, CTA's first ethnic minority president, served as the leader of the association from 1995-1999 and as Secretary-Treasurer from 1991-1995. Her expertise in the teaching profession led to her serving on the California State Commission on Teacher Credentialing. She is listed in Who's Who in Black America and Who's Who Among International Women. She is also a personal, lifelong friend of President Bill Clinton.
Tinson was a reading and English teacher at North Park High School in the Baldwin Park Unified School District. She began her teaching career as a first- and fourth-grade teacher in Arkansas City, Arkansas, relocating to the Los Angeles area in 1961. She received her master's and doctorate degrees from Pepperdine University, where she was also an instructor of grade school education.
Funeral services for Tinson, who is survived by her husband David, two sisters, two brothers and several nieces and nephews, will be held Saturday, January 3 at 11AM at Metropolitan Missionary Baptist Church in Los Angeles.