There is no consensus among the public about the role of the public school system in the U.S., according to a Phi Delta Kappan poll that also shows widespread discontent with some of the education policies that have been a major focus of the reform movement.
“This really calls into question in many ways whether the agenda that has been set over the last 16 years, in particular over the last two administrations, is really what parents want to see,” said Johsua Starr, CEO of PDK, the education organization that’s released the poll annually for the last 48 years.
Notably, the poll shows that only 45 percent of respondents thought the main goal of public education should be preparing students academically, while the rest was split between the main goal being preparing students for work or preparing them to be good citizens.
The poll also revealed that Americans are overwhelmingly against closing struggling schools, divided on whether parents should be allowed to opt their kids out of standardized tests, and more enthusiastic about expanding career and technical education than honors classes.
The 48th annual PDK survey was based on a random, representative, 50-state sample of 1,221 adults interviewed by cell or landline telephone, in English or Spanish, in April and May 2016.
For more, see http://pdkpoll2015.pdkintl.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/PDK2016PollExecutive-Summary.pdf
