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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 22, 2000

News Release

Public Sees Need for Strong Investment in Public Education

Gallup Poll Shows Support for Improvement Strategies

Washington, D.C. -- Americans see a need for a strong investment as a key strategy for improving America's public schools, according to the latest Gallup Poll done for Phi Delta Kappan magazine. New funds should be used to reduce class size, provide incentives to attract and retain highly qualified people into the teaching profession, and to expand access to learning technologies.

"This is reliable evidence that Americans understand it will take additional resources to meet our nation's goals in public education improvement," said NEA President Bob Chase. "Parental involvement, reducing class size, enhancing safety, and getting and keeping good teachers represents a balanced, common sense approach to better schools and a better America."

At least three-fourths of Americans would support investing in efforts to improve public schools -- compared to only 22 percent who believe the best alternative is to provide private school tuition vouchers. What is more, "lack of financial support" topped the list of the biggest problems facing the public schools.

Americans understand the need for a "major infusion of common sense" in the standards movement -- as President Chase has been calling for. Seventy percent of public school parents said they believe that the primary purpose of public schools is to provide a "balanced education," that includes but is not exclusively focused on the basics.

The Gallup Poll found that 69 percent of public school parents believe that tests should be used to determine what kind of instruction students need in the future, not just to determine how much they have learned. In the same way, 71 percent of public school parents believe that classroom work and homework are the best mechanisms for measuring student achievement.

"Student testing needs to be restored to its rightful place in education -- as a stethoscope for understanding how to teach students better, not a hammer to shake at students, teachers, and schools," Chase said.

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The National Education Association is the nation’s largest professional employee organization, representing more than 2.7 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support personnel, school administrators, retired educators, and students preparing to become teachers.