The state Department of Education seems to get a new leader every four years of late, and the newest one officially starts this week. Richard Woods ran for state school superintendent as an outsider on a platform that included opposition to one of DOE’s key initiatives, the Common Core State Standards. Despite his opposition, Woods may not have the power to stop the standards, as I discuss today. In a guest column, an educator says the best teachers are those who regard the job as a calling. And readers sound off about a new federal study that found low-income schools get a higher share of inexperienced teachers.

About the Author

Featured

Carleigh Knight (left) and her sister, Natalie Rogovin, look at Christmas ornaments while shopping at Kudzu Antiques + Modern in Decatur on Tuesday, Nov. 25, 2025. (Natrice Miller/AJC)

Credit: Natrice Miller