Doug Ducey does Common Core a big favor

• Gov. Doug Ducey called on the state education board to review%2C but not jettison%2C higher academic standards
• His appointments to the board include a foe of the standards as well as someone who helped write them
• Call him Solomon%3A Ducey%27s balanced approach is the right one

It wasn't exactly Solomon, but it was close enough.

Gov. Doug Ducey did two important things with his comments to the Arizona State Board of Education on Monday.

First, he gave lawmakers a good reason to reject bills that aim to kill Common Core standards.

Second, he gave opponents of these tough academic standards a chance to make their case.

Our view has long been that these standards are good for Arizona. The opposition is misguided, but highly energized.

Arizona was among more than 40 states that helped develop the standards, adopted by Arizona's education board in 2010. Millions of dollars have been spent on training and resources to implement them, and they are in use in classrooms across the state.

They will help our students prepare for the challenges of a global economy.

The repeated mischaracterization of Common Core as some sort of federal plot to take over local schools has led to misguided efforts to repeal the standards. Efforts to repeal them or allow parents to pull their children out of testing persist at the Legislature.

It's not new. Former Gov. Jan Brewer sought to deflect criticism by renaming Common Core as Arizona's College and Career Ready Standards. Opponents were not fooled.

Superintendent of Public Instruction Diane Douglas built her 2014 campaign on opposition to the standards. Ducey also voiced his opposition during the campaign.

Opponents of the standards see a friend in Ducey, and they expect him to take up their fight.

But dumping Common Core would disrupt our education system and waste the time and money spent implementing the standards.

Ducey's talk to the education board showed a businessman's appreciation of that reality. It was a masterful job of redirecting the discussion.

Ducey reiterated his opposition to the standards, but he did not call for repeal. Instead, he called for a complete review of the language and math standards that were based on Common Core. He asked the board to work with parents, students and educators from around the state to assure the standards represent what Arizona wants for its students.

"Let's put this distraction behind us," Ducey said.

This is the right approach. It gives opponents and supporters a chance to come together, take a reasoned look at what's being taught and design any changes so there is no doubt these are Arizona-centric academic standards.

Ducey began his strategy last week by naming five members to the 11-member board. One is Gilbert Town Councilman Jared Taylor, a member of Arizonans Against Common Core. Another is Yavapai County School Superintendent Tim Carter, who helped develop the standards.

Others named were Arizona State University President Michael Crow, former Navajo Nation presidential candidate Chris Deschene and Chuck Schmidt, associate executive director for the Arizona Interscholastic Association.

The diversity of voices on the board is important.

But it is also important to remember that reviewing academic standards is something the board does regularly. These standards are no different. They never were.

Ducey offered the board, and opponents of Common Core, a chance to take a close look, make any necessary changes and move forward without shaking the ground on which teachers have built their lesson plans.