Education Survey Results Show That Voters Want Parental Involvement in the Education of Their Children

Despite their public school ratings skewing more positive than negative, registered voters overall support parental involvement in their children’s education. They also support a public school curriculum that teaches that America’s founding and impact on the rest of the world were generally exceptional.

Public School Ratings – Registered voters’ ratings of the public schools in their area lean more positive. (See attached).

Parental Involvement – Overall, registered voters support parental involvement in their children’s education and believe parents have too little control over the curriculum at the moment.

• 85% believe parents should be allowed to see all the curriculum, books, and materials used in their children’s classes.
• 49% believe parents have too little control over their children’s education, 11% believe they have too much, and 25% believe they have about the right amount.
• 71% believe parents should have a significant role in the development of curriculum for their children (30% very, 41% somewhat).

Curriculum Topics – Registered voters strongly support curriculum with positive teachings on America’s past and role in the world. That said, 42% believe students should be taught that it was founded on racism, slavery, and white supremacy, suggesting a significant proportion of respondents believe both concepts should be taught in public schools.

• When asked whether students in public schools should be taught that America was founded on the ideals of freedom, equality, and self-governance, 81% of registered voters said yes.
• 64% believe public schools should teach students that the United States is a force for good in the world. 15% believe this should not be taught, and 21% were unsure.
• That said, respondents were more split when asked whether students should be taught that America was founded on racism, slavery, and white supremacy. 42% said they should, and 44% said they should not.

Curriculum Conflicts – Registered voters overall support parents in school board disputes, and a stronger majority support solutions such as school choice and parent quotas on school boards to resolve these conflicts.

• When asked whether parents who disagree with their public school curriculum should be allowed to send their children to an alternative school at no cost to their family, 58% said yes.
  22% they should not be able to do this, and 20% were unsure.
• Respondents were asked, when hearing about recent conflicts between parents and school boards, do they tend to side with the parents or the school boards. 42% said they side with the parents typically in these conflicts.
  28% side with the school boards, and 30% were unsure.
• 67% of respondents believe school districts should be required to have a significant number of parents on their school boards.
• 17% believe they should not be required, and 16% are unsure.

FreedomWorks Foundation maintains a partnership with renowned pollster Scott Rasmussen, working to evaluate the attitudes of Americans and develop messaging that connects with them.