The Annual Kappan Gallup Poll

Phi Delta Kappan has just published the results of its annual Gallup poll of U.S. attitudes on key issues in public education (see link below). Among the most important findings:

• Most Americans (62%) haven’t heard of the Common Core, and those who say they are knowledgeable are misinformed on some key issues.
• There is significant push-back on standardized testing, with only 22% saying it helps make schools better. 
• There has been a dramatic turnaround on the issue of using test scores to evaluate individual teachers: 58% now reject the idea, and 63% oppose newspapers publishing individual teachers’ test results.
• On the other hand, a majority also believe teacher evaluations should be publicly available, along with those of doctors and police officers. 
• The majority believe their children are safe in school and oppose the idea of giving firearms to teachers and principals.
• Charter schools get wide support (68%) and have a generally positive image.
• A growing majority (70%) is opposed to vouchers and spending public money on private schools.
• An overwhelming majority (94%) says band, drama, sports, and school newspapers are very important or somewhat important school activities.
• A strong majority (80%) says critical thinking skills are the highest curriculum priority, closely followed by communication skills (78%). 
• Lack of financial support is seen as the biggest problem facing public schools (cited by 35%).
• Only 36% give President Obama an A or B for his education policies.
• A slim majority (55%) says the children of immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally should not have access to public education.
• As has been the case in previous polls, a strong majority (71%) gives an A or B to the school attended by their oldest child, but only 53% give a similar grade to their community’s schools – and only 18% give an A or B to the nation’s schools. 

“Highlights of the 2013 PDF/Gallup Poll” by William Bushaw and Shane Lopez in Phi Delta Kappan, September 2013 (Vol. 95, #1, p. 8-25), www.pdkpoll.org

From the Marshall Memo #501