More on the “Phi Delta Kappa Gallup poll”
Sep 20th, 2006 by Annette
What the Public Really Wants on Education : A New Memo by Center for American Progress Senior Fellow Ruy Texeira
snip: There is broad agreement across the political spectrum that the public school system needs to be reformed to meet the challenges of the 21st century. The question is: How?
snip: This debate is intense, particularly after several years of experience with the successes and failures of the bipartisan No Child Left Behind Act, which enacted into law strict educational standards, mandatory testing, and (at least in theory) more federal funding of public education. The various protagonists in this debate naturally claim public support for their positions, yet a comprehensive survey of public opinion polls shows that the public’s ideas for reform do not fit neatly into any one of the camps in this debate.
Despite criticisms of its current performance, the public’s views on educational reform start with strong support of the public school system—particularly as it functions for low-income students. The public wants that performance improved, starting with higher standards, and is willing to tolerate fairly strict guidelines and testing regimes to accomplish this goal.
snip: The data also indicates that the public is far more interested in implementing more accountability in public schools and providing more resources to the public school system than in moving to a voucher-based system. Indeed, vouchers tend to lose badly today when in political propositions precisely because they are perceived to be in conflict with the public’s commitment to adequate resources for public schools.
snip: Possibly the clearest public preference about school reform is the desire for more accountability. In the 2004 ETS poll, 80 percent said “we need greater accountability when it comes to public schools.” Support for accountability includes support for higher standards and a willingness to tolerate fairly strict guidelines and testing regimes to accomplish this goal. (end of snips-2 pages at the link)
