Atlanta superintendent commits to Common Core

Atlanta Superintendent Erroll Davis on Tuesday said “there will be no retreat” from uniform standards that aim to improve academic achievement, and he acknowledged that the public school system isn’t doing enough to prepare students.

Delivering his last State of the Schools address before retirement, Davis said Common Core standards aren’t a “communist plot.” Instead, he said they challenge students to think critically and prove their knowledge.

Davis said Atlanta Public Schools must focus on improving its 51 percent four-year graduation rate and reducing the number of students who need remedial help when they go to college.