State Ed Commissioner John B. King Jr. announced this week that he will leave the department by the end of the year to serve as a senior adviser to U.S. education secretary Arne Duncan. NYSUT issued the following statement:
"NYSUT has disagreed sharply and publicly with the commissioner on many issues. The disconnect between the commissioner's vision and what parents, educators and students want for their public education system became so great, NYSUT voted 'no confidence' in Commissioner King last spring and called for his resignation. We hope he has learned from his stormy tenure in New York state and we look forward to working collaboratively and productively with the Regents to improve public education going forward.
"We call on the Regents, in appointing the next education commissioner, to first and foremost, select a passionate advocate for what children and public schools need. The next commissioner must be a heralded educator who respects parents, teachers and students. New York needs an education commissioner who listens carefully; is willing to learn from others and compromise; and who understands that true collaboration among stakeholders will make New York's already strong public education system even stronger. Without that, all of our sincere efforts to narrow the achievement gap and ensure that all students are ready to contribute to our economy going forward will be in vain."
"NYSUT has disagreed sharply and publicly with the commissioner on many issues. The disconnect between the commissioner's vision and what parents, educators and students want for their public education system became so great, NYSUT voted 'no confidence' in Commissioner King last spring and called for his resignation. We hope he has learned from his stormy tenure in New York state and we look forward to working collaboratively and productively with the Regents to improve public education going forward.
"We call on the Regents, in appointing the next education commissioner, to first and foremost, select a passionate advocate for what children and public schools need. The next commissioner must be a heralded educator who respects parents, teachers and students. New York needs an education commissioner who listens carefully; is willing to learn from others and compromise; and who understands that true collaboration among stakeholders will make New York's already strong public education system even stronger. Without that, all of our sincere efforts to narrow the achievement gap and ensure that all students are ready to contribute to our economy going forward will be in vain."
