NEW YORK (AP) — New York State Education Commissioner John King Jr. urged a business group Wednesday to support the Common Core learning standards despite “all of the noise” from critics on the right and on the left.

“We need you to speak up,” King told a breakfast meeting of the Association for a Better New York in Manhattan. “We need you to choose not to be silent in the face of deception and misinformation. You can’t stand on the sidelines while others debate education policy. We need you in the debate, advocating for our students.”