To  All Governors:

America’s business leaders and teachers share an enduring commitment to the education of our nation’s young people.  It is for this reason that we write to confirm the strong support of both business and teachers for the effective implementation of Common Core State Standards and ask that you remain committed in your support to help our schools get it right.

Both of us have spoken out on this before.  Though we are not always in agreement about the “how,” we are joining forces to ask that the transition to the new standards be done well.

Governors and chief state school officers play a central role in ensuring all high school graduates are prepared for college or to begin their career.  College and career readiness is at the heart of the Common Core State Standards.  As leaders in the classroom and workplace, our members believe the Common Core State Standards represent the best opportunity in a generation to put American students on a path to personal and professional success.

Ensuring success for all students is an economic and moral imperative for our nation.  As America becomes more diverse, we must do all we can to leverage the talent and potential of all our students.  If they do not graduate from high school ready for college or a career, America will jeopardize the ability of future generations to enjoy a high quality of life.  In short, preparing all students for the challenges of life beyond high school is vital to individual and national prosperity.

As you well know, a tremendous amount of hard work has already taken place and continues at the state and local levels on the Common Core State Standards.  Educators – principals and teachers – will continue to play a key role in their effective roll out.  We ask you to stay the course and oppose attempts to impede the successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards.  And we ask you to trust educators, listen to what they need, and do everything in your power to support them in accomplishing these challenging goals.  This will take time, professional development, and teaching resources for educators; communication and engagement with parents, employers and the public; and honest and ongoing assessment of implementation progress by educators and policymakers alike.  And we must remember that curriculum and teaching must be aligned to the standards before testing students against them can have real meaning. 

Know that our members – America’s business leaders and teachers – stand with you in support of the Common Core State Standards and will remain committed during what promises to be a challenging but important implementation and transition period.

You can find more about AFT’s and BRT’s respective efforts at www.aft.org/newspubs/press/nytimes/column110313.cfm and www.brt.org.

Sincerely,

John Engler, President, Business Roundtable 

Randi Weingarten, President, American Federation of Teachers