NYS Education Commissioner John King

Thank goodness NYS Ed Commissioner John King is standing strong! (And kudos to Arne Duncan for supporting him!)

New York state's education commissioner, John B. King Jr., who has faced sharp criticism over the rollout of new tests and teacher evaluations, went on the offensive Thursday, vowing to push ahead with higher standards for students.

"We are not—not—going backward," Mr. King told a packed Manhattan room of more than 200 students, faculty and others at New York University's Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service. "We are not retreating."

…Expressing his support, U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan introduced Mr. King at the event, saying he saw an "amazing opportunity" for the city and state "to help lead the country where we need to go" by expanding preschool, refining teacher evaluations and enforcing higher academic standards, known as the Common Core.