U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan came to San Diego Thursday to get feedback on Common Core.
Duncan's first stop was with San Diego Unified Superintendent Cindy Marten at Will Angier Elementary in Serra Mesa. They sat in on a fifth grade class.
Secretary Duncan and Superintendent Marten also held a roundtable with teachers and parents to talk about common core's implementation in San Diego Unified School District.
Duncan remembered coming to San Diego a few years ago and seeing a school district facing challenges.
"I came here three or four years ago and it was very challenging, frankly, because there was so much dysfunction, so much turn over," Duncan said.
But now Duncan said things have changed, and what San Diego needs is long-term commitment to change from its board.
"If the board can stay together, and if the superintendent and her team can stay and have a ten year, 12 year, 15 year run," Duncan said, "whatever it might be, just imagine where the district can be down the road."
The Council of Chief State School Officers is holding its annual forum on education policy at the U.S. Grant downtown. Duncan went there to take input from state school chiefs from across the country.
The feedback ranged from policy changes and testing to encouraging districts to improve performance.
