Nationwide support for charter public schools is growing.
That’s according to the 2019 Education Next poll which finds that 48 percent of the public approve of them—a four percent jump from last year. Here are some of the other key takeaways from the poll:
- Support for charter public school remains bipartisan. While 40 percent of Democrats support charter public schools, 58 percent of Latinx Democrats support them and 53 percent of Black Democrats support them as well. Meanwhile, 61 percent of Republicans support charter schools.
- A majority of voters (53 percent) residing in districts with charter schools favor them. One possible explanation for this is that when voters know of a charter school and/or have a connection to one, their support grows.
- Misinformation is still a serious problem. Only 27 percent of respondents knew that charter schools cannot charge tuition. Only 22 percent knew that they cannot hold religious services.
To be sure, there’s some encouraging signs here. The diverse and bipartisan support of charter schools continues to be an important strength of the movement. But there’s still critical work to be done in educating broader swaths of the public about the vital role that charter schools play in providing parents—especially those from historically underserved communities—with more quality options.
Photo credit: Green Dot Schools
