Public Education Polls 10-5-24

According to a Gallup poll, Americans' satisfaction with the quality of K-12 education in the United States is at a record low:

The table presents data on the satisfaction levels of respondents regarding the quality of education in the U.S. from 1999 to 2024. For the most recent data collected from August 2024, the percentages are as follows: 9% of respondents are completely satisfied. 34% are somewhat satisfied. 34% are somewhat dissatisfied. 

Gap between public and parents: The 40-point gap between the public's and parents' perception of schools is the second highest on record. 

Some reasons why Americans may be dissatisfied with the quality of education include:

Lack of focus on core subjects: Conservatives are particularly likely to cite this as a reason for their dissatisfaction.

Teachers' personal views: Conservatives are also likely to cite this as a reason for their dissatisfaction.

Lack of resources: Liberals are especially likely to cite this as a reason for their dissatisfaction.

Parents having too much say in the curriculum: Liberals are especially likely to cite this as a reason for their dissatisfaction. 

As of 2022, the U.S. was below average in math but above average in science compared with other member countries in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), a group of mostly highly developed, democratic nations: U.S. students ranked 28th out of 37 OECD member countries in math

As of now, the United States education ranking is in the 13th place with a score of 0.883, trailing behind countries like Germany (2nd) and New Zealand (3rd). In the QS World University Rankings 2023, 11 out of the top 20 universities are American, including prestigious institutions like MIT, Stanford, and Harvard.

Academic progress stalled during the pandemic and has yet to recover. But historic declines in test scores and growing achievement gaps are just part of the problem. Youth mental health issues surged; behavioral problems increased; and more teachers left the profession—creating a situation many are calling alarming.

All signs point to a deterioration in the quality of American schools. Europeans and Asians alike have rapidly expanded their educational systems over the last 50 years. In the United States stagnation if not decline has been apparent at least since the 1970s.

Comments

Current Elementary School Curriculum is too weak on basic skills like reading, writing, spelling and math.  The current High School Curriculum is too weak in Applied Math and Sciences. Students are bored and some are leaving school to go to work. There is no foundation for students to enter professional occupational courses in college.

Restoring the US Economy will require the US to re-shore manufacturing.  The off-shoring of manufacturing has created a gap in the Curricula. US Engineering jobs were off-shored with the manufacturing. The Engineers who gave us the Electronics Design Cycles of the 1980s have retired. These Engineers were educated in the 1960s when the k-12 curriculum did support Math and Science.

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader