Private Schools Rated Much Higher Than Public System

With confidence in the public school system at an all-time low (see my blog of June 26, 2012), Americans now rate private, including independent and parochial, schools much higher at providing children a good education.  Even parents of children in K-12 education, most of whom (83%) are in the public system, say private schools are of higher quality (see Gallup poll of August 29, 2012).

Independent private schools and parochial and church-related schools receive the highest performance ratings from not only Americans overall, but parents of public school children, Republicans and even Democrats.

Democrats were a little more supportive in their affection for the public system, which generally could garner barely a third of the public offering a positive rating for performance.

Charter schools, a relatively new concept and not operating in every school district, receive support from 60 percent of the public and parents.

Advocates of reform of the public school system are behind public opinion, which has already judged the public school system as inadequate and underperforming available alternatives.

• Confidence in public schools collapsed in last fifty years from 58% to 29% (Gallup, June 20, 2012)
• 53% of public dissatisfied with “quality of education students receive in K-12 in the U.S. today” (Gallup, August 29, 2012)