Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/45838
Public Opinion Public confidence in teachers going up 43rd Annual PDK/Gallup Poll shows higher confi- dence in teachers despite negative percep- tion of nation's schools BLOOMINGTON, Ind. — Despite low opinions of the nation's schools, Americans rate their pub- lic school teachers more highly now than they have in the past, accord- ing to the 2011 annual PDK/Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools. More than 70 percent of Americans say they have trust and confidence in the men and women who are teaching in public schools. Sixty-nine percent of Americans give public school teachers in their community a letter grade of an A or B, compared to only 50 percent in 1984. While the public feels positive about teachers in their communi- ties, it has a less favorable opinion of others involved in education, particularly governors and teacher unions. In fact, nearly one in two Americans believes that teacher unions hurt public education. Despite that, slightly more than half of Americans side with teacher union leaders in disputes with governors over collective bar- gaining. Although Americans clearly have concerns about education issues, when the poll — conducted annual- ly by Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK) in conjunction with Gallup — asked Americans whether they would encourage the brightest per- son they know to become a teacher, three of four said that they would. Sixty-seven percent also said they would like to have a child of theirs choose a public-school teaching career, and 76 percent believe we should be actively recruiting our high-achieving high school students to consider teaching as a career. The 2011 poll also reveals that Americans' opinions of President Obama's national education efforts have improved, increasing seven points from last year. Forty-one per- cent of Americans would give the president a letter grade of an A or a B for his support of public schools, close to what he received his first year in office. The public also con- tinues to approve of Obama's sup- port of charter schools; 70 percent favor the idea — the highest level of approval in the past 10 years. Additionally, Americans increas- ingly support school choice, or allowing students and parents to choose which public schools to tions of the teacher. Students' scores on standardized tests were rated as least important. Similarly, Americans believe that school dis- tricts should use multiple factors to determine which teachers should be laid off first, rather than basing it primarily on seniority (last hired, first fired). • Americans are conflicted over whether standardized test scores should be published. Some newspa- pers are releasing information about how the students of individ- ual teachers perform on standard- ized tests. When asked whether they were in favor of or opposed to This year's PDK/Gallup poll shows that Americans believe the key to good schools is high-quality teachers. Interestingly, the public has mixed opinions whether state governors or education leaders are the ones who can better ensure that our schools provide the quality they expect. attend in their community, regard- less of where they live. On the other hand, vouchers received their lowest approval rating in the last 10 years, with only one of three Americans in favor of allowing stu- dents and parents to use public money to pay to attend a private school. Other key findings • Funding is the biggest problem facing schools. Thirty-six percent of Americans believe that lack of financial support is the biggest problem facing schools. • Teacher salaries and layoffs should be based on multiple factors. Consistent with past findings, Americans believe teacher salaries should be based on multiple factors, including advanced degrees, experi- ence, and the principal's evalua- this practice, Americans were equally split, with 51 percent favor- ing it and 48 percent opposing it. • College is important but does- n't guarantee readiness. College graduates are considered most ready for the world of work. However, not all Americans believe that a college degree is sufficient for readiness. PDK, a global association of edu- cation professionals, has conducted this poll with Gallup annually since 1969. The poll serves as an opportu- nity for parents, educators, and leg- islators to assess public opinion about public schools. The 2011 find- ings are based on telephone inter- views conducted in June 2011 with a national sample of 1,002 American adults. More poll data is available at . All students proficient by 2014? Obama Administration to allow states to seek waiver from this NCLB requirement. porary fix for the undue burdens caused by NCLB by offering states waivers of some of the law's provisions. This package frees schools from the NCLB requirement to judge students and schools based on one test on one day during the school year. It encourages states to adopt testing systems that demonstrate student academic progress and to provide extra support to schools that need to close achievement gaps. Specifically, it allows states to O apply for a waiver from the requirement that all students be proficient by 2014. To receive flexibility, states must develop a plan to address three areas: • Developing and adopting col- lege and career readiness stan- dards in reading/language arts and mathematics • Developing systems of recog- nition, accountability and sup- port for both high-achieving and low-achieving schools that are not "one-size-fits-all" but are developed to help and recognize the specific needs of schools • Developing evaluation system and support for teachers and principals using valid multiple student assessments, measuring student progress over time, with clear feedback to teachers on how to improve instruction. We know that the Delaware Dept. of Education is pulling together a group to develop the state's waiver application and that they expect to submit it in February. n September 23, President Obama announced his plan for providing a tem- 10 October 2011 DSEA ACTION! www.dsea.org www.pdkpoll.org