Jason Griffiths, SECRETARY OF COMMON CORE and HEADMASTER OF THE BROOKLYN LATIN SCHOOL. Brooklyn Latin is a public school in the East Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York, that offers an academically rigorous curriculum combined with a strong emphasis on the classics.

Previously, he worked for a multi-national law firm in Philadelphia. His interest in teaching, however, drew him to Delaware Valley High School in Milford, Pennsylvania, where he taught American history, American government, and economics for five years. During that time, he developed curriculum, led professional development sessions, and participated in the Middle States Accreditation process. He also coached the football team, bringing them from bottom ranking to three-time league champions.

In 2004, Mr. Griffiths moved to New York City and enrolled at Teachers College, Columbia University. There he joined New Leaders for New Schools, a non-profit organization that prepares urban school leaders to become principals. During residencies at Village Academies Charter School network in East Harlem, New York, and Boston Latin in Boston, Massachusetts, Mr. Griffiths learned about plans for The Brooklyn Latin School, where he became headmaster when it opened in the fall of 2006.

Mr. Griffiths earned a bachelor’s in history from Princeton University and a master’s in educational administration from Temple University. He is in the final stages of completing his doctorate in education from Teachers College, Columbia University.

Earlier this year, Common Core's report shows a nation STILL AT RISK. Nearly a quarter of students polled could not identify Adolf Hitler and half had no idea what the Renaissance was. To learn more read the report, press release or stories at ABC News, CBS News, The New York Times, and USA TODAY. Or take the test yourself.

FROM THE BENCH: "One unintended effect of the No Child Left Behind Act, …, is that it has effectively squeezed out civics education because there is no testing for that anymore and no funding for that. And at least half of the states no longer make the teaching of civics and government a requirement for high school graduation. This leaves a huge gap, and we can't forget that the primary purpose of public schools in America has always been to help produce citizens who have the knowledge and the skills and the values to sustain our republic as a nation, our democratic form of government," former justice Sandra Day O'Connor said. (cont'd)

CAMPAIGN FILE: Sen. John McCain recalls his English teacher: “There was one friendship that enriched my life at Episcopal High School beyond measure... Mr. Ravenel was head of the English Department... He loved English literature, and taught us to love it as well... He made us appreciate how profound were the emotions that animated the characters in Shakespeare's tragedies. MacBeth and Hamlet in his care were as compelling to boys as they were to the most learned scholar.” (cont'd)

CAMPAIGN FILE: Sen. Barack Obama said “One of the problems with No Child Left Behind is that it has become so reliant on a standardized test model that—first of all—subjects like history and social studies have gotten pushed aside. Arts and music time is no longer there. So the child is not having the well-rounded educational experience I benefited from and most in my generation benefited from.” (cont'd)