For More Information:
NEA Communications: 202 822-7200

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
August 20, 2002

News Release

Statement by NEA President Bob Chase on Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll of Public's Attitudes Toward Public Schools

The real message of this poll is that money matters. Americans support improving American public schools by a greater margin than any other alternatives, such as private school tuition vouchers.

The Supreme Court decision on school vouchers - and the ensuing debate on this issue - may have piqued the public's interest in this topic. Yet the data is clear: Nearly 7 out of 10 Americans firmly believe that the nation's focus should be on "improving and strengthening existing public schools" - compared to only 29 percent who favor providing school vouchers.

The public does not want to abandon public schools; they want the resources to ensure that public schools can succeed. For the second year in a row, lack of financial support tops the list of the biggest problems facing local public schools, far surpassing common challenges such as overcrowding and discipline. Even more convincingly, 88 percent of Americans believe that school funding should be equalized for all public school students in a state so that all children - regardless of where they live - are able to learn in safe, modern schools complete with small class sizes and access to technology.

And driving home the point, three-fourths of Americans oppose reducing state education spending as a means of balancing state budgets, with 58 percent supporting state tax increases to avoid education cuts.

Support for public schools is at an all-time high with 71 percent of parents giving A's or B's to the school their child attends. American parents don't want vouchers. They want good schools in their neighborhoods. And they understand that it will take additional resources to achieve this attainable goal.

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