Poll: Parents give thumbs up to local schools - USATODAY.com

Poll: Parents give thumbs up to local schools - USATODAY.com

Poll: Parents give thumbs up to local schools

By Greg Toppo, USA TODAY

Updated 9h 40m ago

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A new survey finds that more Americans today like their kids' public schools than at any time in the past 36 years — even though they believe U.S. education in general has taken a bit of a dive.

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  File photo by H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY

  Although many Americans have soured on schools in general, nearly eight in 10 give high marks to the school their oldest child attends, according to a new survey.

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File photo by H. Darr Beiser, USA TODAY

Although many Americans have soured on schools in general, nearly eight in 10 give high marks to the school their oldest child attends, according to a new survey.

Nearly eight in 10 Americans — 79% — give an "A or B" grade to the school their oldest child attends, according to findings released today by Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International, an educators association. That's up from 68% in 2001, and the highest percentage of favorable ratings since PDK began asking the question