Press Releases

At a hearing on the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), members of the Committee on Education and the Workforce questioned Acting Secretary of Education John B. King Jr. about how the Department of Education plans to implement the law in a manner consistent with the letter and intent of the law. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) recounted concerns from students, teachers, and parents regarding the “fundamentally flawed” Common Core implementation Dr. King oversaw as New York’s commissioner of education. Rep. Stefanik noted that many in the Empire State felt their views were ignored, and she asked the acting secretary how past mistakes might inform future efforts implementing education reforms designed to empower parents and state and local leaders.

Across party lines, there is frustration with teacher evaluations, with high-stakes testing, and sky-high opt-out rates that have negatively impacted students, families, and educators in my district. …

What lessons did you learn from the fundamentally flawed implementation and the rushed implementation [of Common Core] in New York State … I consistently hear from teachers, parents, and students about the rushed implementation, that their viewpoints weren’t integrated. You are Acting Secretary of Education. It’s really important to see if you think any mistakes were made when you served as commissioner of New York. 

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