Support for School Choice Remains Strong During Volatile Year
7th Annual National School Choice Poll finds strong support from K-12 parents, Latinos, and African Americans
Despite the volatility in K-12 education, a new national survey from Democratic pollster Beck Research finds support for school choice policies remaining remarkably high. This year's 7th annual National School Choice Poll is released right as National School Choice Week is set to begin on Sunday, showing broad bipartisan and minority support for families being able to customize their child's K-12 education.
Major findings:
– Fully 65% of K-12 parents back school choice, including 66% of public-school parents. Parental support is even higher among K-12 parents who work full-time and among middle school and high school parents (both 72%).
– African Americans and Latinos remain very enthusiastic supporters of school choice. This year, 74% of African Americans favor school choice, and 71% of Latinos support school choice.
– School choice continues to enjoy bipartisan support: Republicans continue to be the most enthusiastic supports (82%), but 69% of Independents (69%) and Democrats (55%) favor school choice.
– K-12 parents also back Education Savings Accounts 78% in support to only 14% in opposition. Education Savings Accounts enjoy strong bipartisan support: 78% of Democrats, 76% of Independents, and 82% of Republicans back the bill.
– Support for public charters schools and "school vouchers that allow low- and middle-class families to send their child to any school they deem best" increased this year; 77% of voters support public charter schools and 74% back school vouchers with this framing. Support for public charter schools increased by 10 points among Democrats to 67% and by 14 points among Independents to 81% (85% of Republicans back public charter schools).
– Despite a large-scale shift to online learning due to the Coronavirus pandemic, support for virtual learning or online classes remains identical to 2020 (65% support); three-quarters (74%) of K-12 parents support virtual learning or online classes.
-A federal tax-credit scholarship continues to have very strong support, with 79% supporting the federal initiative, equal to last year's level of support, including 92% of African Americans and 86% of Latinos
Full Polling memo here: https://www.federationforchildren.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/1-21-21-AFC-2021-National-Release-Memo-Final.pdf
Statement from John Schilling, President of the American Federation of Children:
"Once again, this polling confirms that parents are waking up and taking the reins when it comes to their child's education. The pandemic showed all of us how inflexible schools truly are and parents took it upon themselves to place their children in places that best fit them. It is very clear that families are desperate for education alternatives.
"We owe it to students across the country to give them the flexibility they need in order to be successful in the classroom. Parents will continue to speak up and fight for education freedom, and policymakers should note how critical constituencies are overwhelmingly supportive of policies that allow families the freedom to choose the best education for their sons and daughters."
The national survey among 800 voters was supplemented with 150 additional African-American voters, 150 additional Latino voters, and 100 additional K-12 parents, among a total of 1,200 likely November 2022 voters.
Date: January 6-13, 2021
+/- 3.5%
More school choice polling can be found at www.SchoolChoicePolling.com
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