Meet the new SUNY boss
Common Core ‘architect’ John King not loved in public schooling
The state’s public university system is appointing John King as its next schools boss — a veteran educator who has earned both praise and criticism over his advocacy for Common Core educational standards.
The State University of New York tapped King as chancellor on Monday to oversee the system’s 64 colleges and universities and roughly 1.3 million students. He will earn $750,000 a year in the new role.
King served as the New York State education commissioner from 2011 to 2014 before joining the Obama administration as education secretary during the former president’s second term. His appointment as SUNY chancellor immediately drew criticism from skeptics of standardized tests.
“Public education quite literally saved my life when I lost both of my parents at a young age, and I have dedicated my professional career ever since to ensuring that every student has access to the academic opportunities that they need and deserve,” King said in a statement.
King, named “the architect of New York’s Common Core revolution” by the Daily News in 2015, received significant backlash during his tenure as state commissioner for implementing national standards for student learning in New York.
The Empire State was among the first to administer tests in line with those standards, which raised the bar from previous exams. The state’s teachers were subject to a new evaluation system, based in part on students showing progress on the tests.
The changes sparked intense backlash from teachers and some parents at forums across the state, including an infamous event in upstate Poughkeepsie that was cut short in 2013 when attendees heckled King, who initially paused the rest of his scheduled events.
“His actions led directly to massive opposition among parents and the largest testing opt-out movement in the country,” said Jeanette Deutermann, founder of Long Island Opt Out. “Many schools are still dealing with the destructive impact of his policies. I would be very sorry if SUNY students are faced with a similar fate.”
The New York State United Teachers voted no confidence in the commissioner and called for his immediate removal in spring 2014.
Lisa Rudley, the executive director of NYS Allies for Public Education, a coalition of more than 70 parent and teacher groups, said, “If the state’s parents had been able to carry out such a vote, you can be sure they would have done so as well.”
New York State United Teachers President Andrew Pallotta released a diplomatic statement Monday that stopped short of criticizing King’s return to state education. Instead, he called for “champions at every level who will join our fight for the resources needed to take our public colleges and universities to the next level” — and indicated the union would “work with Chancellor King” to ensure the necessary funding for a quality public education.
Meanwhile, King’s appointment as SUNY chancellor was celebrated by several elected officials, including U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who sat on the search committee for the next chancellor and was recently elected the leader of House Democrats.
“While serving as secretary of education, we had the chance to partner to expand college affordability, increase financial aid as well as invest in student success and completion,” said Jeffries (D-Brooklyn, Queens).
“I know he will carry this work forward in his new work and congratulate John on his appointment.”
Gov. Hochul also praised King’s appointment. “His professional experience at every level of our education system, including as secretary of education to President Obama, combined with deep New York roots, make him an ideal leader for the SUNY system,” she said in a statement.
King himself made a run at the state’s top gig in Maryland, where he fell short of the Democratic nomination for governor in July.
The new chancellor is a Brooklyn-born former high school teacher, with degrees from Harvard, Yale Law School and the Teachers College at Columbia University. He was previously the director of the charter school network Uncommon Schools and had been serving as president of the nonprofit Education Trust.
He replaces Interim Chancellor Deborah Stanley, the former president of SUNY Oswego.
The SUNY board of trustees voted unanimously Monday to appoint King, who will start Jan. 17, according to materials presented to the board.
The new chancellor will receive housing in Albany from SUNY and a $12,500 per month stipend for housing in New York City — plus access to a university-owned car or a $1,000 a month car allowance, and a driver for “official university business.”
He will also be reimbursed up to $4,000 a month for travel expenses between New York and Maryland.