NJ Education Report

Education Post just published the results of a poll  about education “issues, improvements, and institutions.” The researchers randomly selected 1,800 people with either children or grandchildren between the ages of 3 and 18. Black and Latino parents were oversampled.

Education Post describes itself as non-profit, non-partisan communications organization  that tries to provide information for those who are “tired of the bluster that distorts issues and prioritizes being loud over being thoughtful — the politicized debate that pushes people to the extremes instead of inviting them to come together for a discussion rooted in our belief in our children and our hopes for the future. There are millions of teachers and families in the middle who are not being heard, and they are tuning out.” Naysayers will note that some of the group’s funding comes from the Broad Foundation.

Here are some of the results:

• Most respondents were either “very satisfied” or “somewhat satisfied” with their neighborhood schools.
• But about 75% of all respondents are either “very worried” or “somewhat worried” that their children are not being adequately prepared for success in college and careers.
• 77% of all respondents have a “very favorable” or “somewhat favorable” view of education reform.

• 53% of all respondents have a “very favorable” or “somewhat favorable” view of teacher unions.

• 71% of all respondents have a “very favorable” or “somewhat favorable” view of charter schools.
• 76% of black parents and 84% of Latino parents  support “higher  standards, even if it means more testing to measure progress.”
• 63% of all respondents favor eliminating teacher tenure.
• 69% of black parents and  72% of Latino parents agree with the statement, “We need to open more public charter schools that are not bound by union rules so they can lengthen the school day, establish their own approach to discipline,and have more flexibility with who they hire.”
• Just about everyone agrees that “education is the civil rights issue of our time.”