Common Core; Slip Slidin' Away

Poll results on public education including Common Core from two sources.




Education Next - No Common Opinion on Common Core

For example, the share of the public that say it favors the Common Core State Standards slipped noticeably between 2013 and 2014. Establishing a common set of standards across states is a new policy proposal that emerged as a public issue only in 2011, and it appears as if many citizens have yet to decide where they stand on the matter. 

From a quite different place on the political spectrum, the New York affiliate of the National Education Association has withdrawn its support for the Common Core as implemented in that state, and the American Federation of Teachers is calling for a moratorium on all consequences attached to student test results while the standards are being implemented, a policy that has been affirmed in California.

Just a year ago, 76% of teachers backed the Common Core, but the portion in favor has now plummeted to 46%. Meanwhile, teacher opposition has more than tripled, from 12% to 40%

A Tainted Brand? The words “Common Core” elicit greater antagonism than does the concept of common standards itself. We discovered this by asking one randomly chosen half of our respondents the same question as was posed to the other half, except that we dropped any specific mention of the Common Core. 


Their findings also included issues like class size, teacher salaries, vouchers and charters.

Then there's the PDK/Gallup poll which is also interesting.

You have about 47% of Americans polled who say they know "a great deal/fair amount"  (my Category One) about Common Core.  On the other side, you have 52% of respondents (my Category Two) saying they know "only a little/nothing at all."  

For standards that are to be rolled out in nearly every state, to have 52% of Americans not even having them register is troubling.

                                           GOP         DEMS        Independents      Public school parents
First category                     54%          40%                 46%                 63%
Second category                47%           60%                55%                 37%

(Yes, I am aware that not all figures add to 100%.)

Opposition - 33% in favor, 60% "favor or oppose teachers using Common Core SS"

Standardized Testing - 45% - helpful - 54% not helpful (these margins are almost identical across groups except for public school parents - 31% helpful, 68% not helpful (maybe people on the front lines have a different experience).

On public schools' biggest problems - highest ranking goes to funding at 32% and then drops to 9% for standards, 9% discipline/drugs/gangs and 8% difficulty getting good teachers/more teachers.

Grading your schools - most people give their district's schools an A or B - 50%, with 31% C and 17% D or F. 

Giving Obama a grade for education - Only 5% gave him an A with 51% giving him a B/C, 16% giving him a D and a whopping 27% giving him an F.

Who should have the greatest influence on what public schools teach?  Fifty-six percent say their local school board, with 28% saying the state and only 15% saying the feds.

 You can see from the breakout here, why Common Core gets a whack by conservatives as 68% say local school board and just 3% say federal, while the Dems say 45% for local school board, 26% for state and 28% for feds.