NY Commissioner Defends Common Core

New York Education Commissioner John King today called on business leaders in the state to come out swinging in defense of the Common Core.
King said opponents of the new academic standards are making “false claims” that the Common Core will speed the privatization of public education, or that it’s part of a “national conspiracy of the left or the right.” Such claims, he said, must be parried.
“You can’t be silent in the face of deception,” King told the Association for a Better New York. “You can’t stand on the sidelines while some call for a retreat to lower standards. A better New York starts with you. It starts with each and every one of us. It starts today — right here in this room — with a determination to do whatever it takes to improve outcomes for students.”

King acknowledged that implementation of the Common Core has been “uneven” and pledged to help districts that have struggled. “But just as we teach our students to respond to adversity with perseverance and renewed effort, we must continue to thoughtfully adjust and move forward toward higher standards,” he said.