Column: Poll shows big disconnect among Americans about school reform | MLive.com

Column: Poll shows big disconnect among Americans about school reform | MLive.com

Column: Poll shows big disconnect among Americans about school reform

Published: Tuesday, January 11, 2011, 12:00 PM

By Julie Mack | Kalamazoo Gazette
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Most Americans worry that our education system is failing behind, compared to the rest of the world, but most of them don’t support a longer school year or school day.

A majority of Americans think teachers are underpaid, but they don’t want to pay more in taxes to increase school spending.

There’s a strong consensus that K-12 education should be a state or local matter, but many still think President Barack Obama is not doing enough to improve U.S. education.

A recent national poll by the Associated Press and Stanford University on American attitudes about education show some interesting contradictions, but also overwhelming agreement that education is important to the nation’s well-being.

“Overall, 88 percent say economic prosperity and quality education are closely entwined, a 12-percentage-point increase over a similar poll two years ago,” the AP said in its report