Voters say education is a top priority
3/18/03 -- Education is a top priority for American voters, according to a poll conducted in January by the Public Education Network and Education Week. Respondents said education is of greater concern than health care, terrorism, national security, Social Security, and job creation.
The poll results, announced Feb. 24, also reveal that voters believe state budget crises could slow the pace of school improvement across the nation. While many Americans favor the goals of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act, they are worried that the states cannot afford to implement it. Many voters say the federal government -- not the states -- should provide the necessary funds to implement NCLB.
Among the findings in Demanding Quality Public Education in Tough Economic Times: What Voters Want from Elected Leaders:
• By almost a two-to-one margin, Americans would vote against lawmakers who fail to fight for adequate education funding.
• Sixty-five percent of Americans believe that state budget cuts are having a serious or somewhat serious impact on their communities.
• More voters want to protect education from budget cuts (54 percent) than health care/Medicare (32 percent), retirement funds (10 percent), and law enforcement/fire protection (7 percent).
• Voters show significantly more support for tax increases if the new revenue is earmarked for education, though the intensity of support for tax increases is low.
• Most respondents said they would be willing to take action if a school in their community were designated as failing. More than two-thirds (69 percent) would work to change the administration of the failing school or write a letter to a lawmaker indicating their concerns. But only one-third (35 percent) would be willing to shut down a failing school in their community.
Top of Page
| Reproduced with permission from the Mar. 18, 2003, issue of School Board News. Copyright © 2003, National School Boards Association. Opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect positions of NSBA. This article may be printed out and photocopied for individual or educational use, provided this copyright notice appears on each copy. This article may not be otherwise transmitted or reproduced in print or electronic form without the consent of the Publisher. For more information, call (703) 838-6789. |