RALEIGH, N.C. – As the Legislative Research Commission Common Core Study Committee meets this afternoon, public and private leaders across the state remain steadfast in their belief that these career and college ready standards are vital for developing a stronger workforce in North Carolina. Comments from some of North Carolina’s business, education, nonprofit and classroom leaders are listed below.

For more information on North Carolina’s Common Core State Standards, including a full list of the North Carolina Common Core Coalition, visit http://hirestandardsnc.org.

“The reading and math standards in Common Core are high, relevant and can be applied internationally; yet it can also be applied and implemented here locally in the state of North Carolina.”
– North Carolina Governor Pat McCrory at the North Carolina Conference on Education

“North Carolina businesses need the Common Core State Standards as much as our students do. Education is the foundation for success. These standards will strengthen our workforce, our productivity and our state’s economy.”

-Robert A. Ingram, General Partner, Hatteras Venture Partners

“The Military Child Education Coalition strongly supports the Common Core State Standards. We advocate for these Standards because they make sense. North Carolina has one of the largest military populations in our country. Every year many of the military-connected children and youth move and change schools, the Standards provide greater clarity and predictability, regardless of zip code. The structure of the Standards is vital for all students to be college and career ready, but it is especially critical for the highly mobile military-connected student.”
– Mary Keller, President and CEO, Military Child Education Coalition

“North Carolina’s college- and career-ready standards are a critical step to give every child access to a great public school. They hold students to a set of educational expectations that are higher, clearer and go deeper; and help to prepare all students for college and a successful career.”
– Julie Kowal, Executive Director, CarolinaCAN

“Helping prepare our children to succeed in an increasingly fierce global marketplace is a goal we should all embrace. Business leaders stand united in our support for the successful implementation of the Common Core State Standards for career and college readiness, and I urge others to join us.”
– Jim Whitehurst, President and CEO, Red Hat, Inc.

“The Common Core State Standards provide a consistent, clear understanding of what students are expected to learn, so teachers and parents know what they need to do to help them. The standards are designed to be robust and relevant to the real world, reflecting the knowledge and skills that our young people need for success in college or career.”
– Debra Horton, Executive Director, NCPTA

“Wake Education Partnership is a strong supporter of the Common Core. As one of the business community’s most important voices on education issues in Wake County, the Partnership was quick to support an effort that holds schools to higher standards and provides students with stronger skills. Allowing Common Core to reach its potential will not be easy. Real progress rarely is. But we are confident it can succeed if we support our teachers, principals and students in the endeavor.”
– Steve Parrott, President, Wake Education Partnership

“The quality of our workforce in North Carolina depends directly on the depth and rigor of our students’ learning. Stronger education standards are necessary to equip young people with the skills they need to compete in a 21st-century economy. I am confident that the Common Core State Standards will better prepare our students for their futures.”
– Billie Redmond, Chief Executive Officer, TradeMark Properties

“Teaching with the Common Core State Standards is exciting! It gives me the opportunity to take leadership with the instruction in my classroom. With the standards as my guide, I am making instructional choices that make sense and are relative to what is happening in the real world, especially locally. I have been given the opportunity to be creative in lesson planning by using community resources. For instance, living in Southport N.C., my kindergarten students are learning about measurement by observing, analyzing, researching and reporting the various cargo ships that come through the waterway, which is a few blocks from our school. We are taking photos and field trips to collect data regarding different aspects of measurement. This helps students to see meaning behind what they are learning and assists in making connections to their own community. Common Core feels natural and to me, is good teaching at its finest. Teaching and learning has always been hard work, if it is done right. I’m not going to just work hard. I’m going to work hard at the things that matter. Common Core helps with this. It’s hard work, but it’s hard work worth doing.”
– Stephanie C. Boehmer
Kindergarten Teacher, Southport Elementary, Southport, N.C.

“I see positive changes being implemented as a result of the Common Core Standards. Teachers are being challenged to rethink the way they teach to be sure their lessons are relevant, and are truly building conceptual knowledge and understanding for students. Students are being challenged to rethink the way they learn. They are defending and justifying knowledge gained, which is making them more accountable for their actions in the classroom.”
– Lauren Sabo, Common Core Leadership Team Chair, Johnston County Schools

“As President of the Greater Raleigh Chamber, I know many in the business community are facing a shortage of workers with the skills needed for real jobs in a modern economy. North Carolina’s Career and College Ready Standards, including English and Math Common Core State Standards, better prepare our students because they were expressly designed to develop those necessary skills.”
– Harvey A. Schmitt, President and CEO, Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce

“On average, children from military families will move six to nine times during their pre-K to 12th grade education. The Common Core State Standards will help ensure that students are receiving a high-quality education consistently so no matter where they live, or how often they move to a new school, they will be better prepared for success in post-secondary education, the workforce and the military, if they choose to serve. That is why North Carolina and 44 other states adopted the standards, as did the U.S. Department of Defense for use in its schools on military bases around the world. North Carolina is moving in the right direction with its implementation of the Common Core State Standards. We must stay the course for our children’s future and for our future national security.”
– Walter H. Cantrell, Rear Admiral, US Navy (Retired), Asheville, N.C.

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CONTACT:
Kate Catlin
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Meredith Archie
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