Key Players List:

• American Federation of Teachers/National Education Association

  Some local affiliates of these powerful national unions are especially active in fighting school closings and putting too much emphasis on test scores in teacher evaluations.

• American Legislative Exchange Council

  This free-market, limited-government legislative policy group has worked to bring vouchers and parent-trigger laws to states, while working to make sure the common core doesn't lead to a federally mandated curriculum.

• Jeb Bush

  Chairman, Foundation for Excellence in Education: The former Florida governor, through his foundation and an affiliated group of state schools chiefs called Chiefs for Change, is lobbying for states to embrace vouchers and school choice, adopt A-F school grading systems, expand digital education, and tie teacher evaluations to test scores.

• David Coleman

  President, College Board: He is one of the chief architects of the English/language arts common standards, developed while he was at Student Achievement Partners.

• Linda Darling-Hammond

  Education Professor, Stanford University: A leading voice on teacher quality, she is opposed to tying test scores to evaluations and has been highly critical of alternative routes to certification, including the Teach For America program.

• Democrats for Education Reform

  Especially active in New York state, the political action committee started to fight the clout of teachers' unions within the Democratic Party and works to expand charter schools and redesign teacher evaluations.

• Arne Duncan

  U.S. Secretary of Education: The former CEO of the Chicago public schools has pursued an aggressive agenda to cajole states into tying teacher evaluations to student test scores, adopting common standards and tests, expanding the charter school sector, and taking drastic action to turn around failing schools.

• Jonah Edelman

  Co-Founder and CEO, Stand for Children: Sometimes a lightning rod for union criticism, his organization has used its state affiliates to push to tie teacher evaluations to test scores and to increase funding for schools.

• Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

  The Seattle-based foundation has funneled tens of millions of dollars into education redesign efforts, with a particular focus on improving teacher quality.

• Parents Across America

  The national group, co-founded by New York City parent activist Leonie Haimson, fights against parent-trigger laws, mass school closings, and high-stakes testing.

• Pearson

  The giant publishing and testing company, which is criticized for its influence over education, will be key in developing materials for the common standards.

• Diane Ravitch

  Research Professor of Education, New York University: A former assistant U.S. secretary of education under President George H.W. Bush, she promoted voluntary national standards then and is now a leading critic of the common standards and what she calls "corporate reform."

• Michelle A. Rhee

  Founder and CEO, StudentsFirst: The former chancellor of the District of Columbia schools uses her organization to push states to adopt charter schools and vouchers, parent-trigger laws, mayoral control of schools, and use of student-growth measures as half of teacher and principal evaluations.

• Joshua Starr

  Superintendent of Schools, Montgomery County, Md.: He is skeptical of current prescriptions for improving education and has called for a three-year moratorium on testing while the common core is implemented.

• Sandra Stotsky

  Professor Emerita of Education, University of Arkansas at Fayetteville: The co-author of Massachusetts' highly regarded standards, she is now a frequent and vocal critic of the common core in state capitols.

• Walton Family Foundation

  A major education philanthropy, the Bentonville, Ark.-based foundation is a big investor in charter schools and other school choice initiatives such as parent-trigger laws.