NPR – Beth Fertig
“The man who will succeed Education Secretary Arne Duncan has both an inspirational personal story and a record of controversy in what’s become a national debate over the Common Core learning standards. At age 40, John King Jr. will become one of the youngest Cabinet members in American history. He’s been deputy U.S. education secretary since January, after serving as education commissioner in New York. Duncan called him “one of the most passionate, courageous, clearheaded leaders in our field” with a “remarkable personal story.” King grew up in Brooklyn, the son of two educators. But both parents died by the time he was 12, and King described a chaotic life of bouncing between relatives in this Huffington Post essay. He credited public school teachers, particularly at P.S. 276 in Canarsie and Mark Twain junior high in Coney Island, with helping him stay on track.”(more)