Editorial

We need an education commissioner who listens

Posted

The resignation of State Education Commissioner Dr. John King Jr. creates a unique opportunity. The Board of Regents, which will choose his successor, has the chance to pick someone who is truly in tune with the state’s public-education system and the people who make it tick.

King, 39, who will step down at year’s end to work for the U.S. education secretary, will not be missed by many education advocacy groups. New York State United Teachers voted “no confidence” in him, and cited a disconnect among King and parents, educators and students. NYSUT and New York State Allies for Public Education are among the groups that have called for King’s resignation during his three-plus years as commissioner.

The State Education Department’s rollout of the new Common Core standards and the accompanying assessments came under fire from parents and educators, with most agreeing that the process was hasty at best, and fatally flawed at worst. The program tested students on material they had yet to learn, and school districts were not provided with the resources they needed to implement it.

An outright repeal of Common Core isn’t the way to go, because that would be yet another disruption to the education system. Instead, the Board of Regents, which is made up of representatives from each region of the state, needs to bring in a leader to fix the mistakes that were made. The concept of a common set of standards that students should attain in order to be most prepared for college and career is sound. The goal of Common Core is laudable, and we need a commissioner who can successfully lead parents, teachers, school boards and administrators to its achievement.

King’s legacy will likely be clouded by the problems and controversy that surrounded the program’s introduction. The legacy of the next commissioner should be that he or she got it right.

That starts with listening. Superintendents, principals, teachers, parents and Board of Education trustees have a lot of useful suggestions. They are the ones with “boots on the ground” who see firsthand the impact of Education Department decisions. They know what works and what doesn’t. Their input is vital in getting education right in New York.

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