Gov. Andrew Cuomo says the Common Core program in New York is not working and must be fixed. The governor issued a statement Thursday announcing a review of the standards, curriculum and tests. He says he'll seek recommendations by January from a group that includes education experts, teachers, parents, Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia and lawmakers.
Cuomo says he agrees with the goal of the standards, which are meant to better prepare students for college. But he repeated his criticism that the state Education Department's implementation of them has been flawed.
“We must have standards for New York’s students, but those standards will only work if people – especially parents – have faith in them and in their ability to educate our children. The current Common Core program does not do that. It must," Cuomo said in a statement Thursday.
“The fact is that the current Common Core program in New York is not working, and must be fixed."
Cuomo says he sympathizes with the parents who had their children sit out of this year's Common Core-aligned math and English tests. Twenty percent of eligible students skipped the tests in April.
State Education Commissioner MaryEllen Elia issued the follow statement Thursday afternoon:
“Immediately upon being named Commissioner of Education earlier this summer, I began traveling the State to meet with and listen to parents, teachers, principals, superintendents and the public about the ways we can improve the education our children receive. At every one of those meetings, I have stressed the need for high standards for all students. I have also stressed the need to review the State’s learning standards – not only because the law requires me to undertake such a review, but also because it’s the right thing to do for our students. I look forward to receiving input from the Governor’s Education Commission as we continue this critical review of our learning standards.”