New York State Education Commissioner John B. King has posted a Back to School message for students and parents, with a transcript included.

The message for students is “Work Hard, Get Smart.” Commissioner King asks students to think about challenging themselves with reading and writing this year and to make a persuasive argument on a topic they really believe using evidence to make their case. King urges parents to “dive into their students’ school experience.” He suggests that parents ask their children, “What did you learn today? What does that mean?” He asks both students and parents to “take every advantage of the learning opportunities in the year ahead.”

Download this video

Transcript