Educators may bear the brunt of school performance criticisms, but the public's opinion of educators is on the rise, with the majority of Americans believing that educators teach students well and keep them safe. More than 70 percent of Americans have trust and confidence in the men and women who teach in public schools, according to the 45th annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup poll (PDF) on the public's attitude toward public schools. Eighty-eight percent of parents feel their children are safe at school—the highest figure ever recorded by the poll—compared to the 66 percent who believe their children are safe playing in their neighborhood.
In addition, 58 percent of respondents oppose evaluating teachers based on students' standardized test performance, which is a more than 10 percent increase in opposition compared to the previous year. And although 60 percent of Americans believe that teacher reviews should be released to the public, more support this practice for doctors and police officers.
Other points of interest include the following:
- 70 percent of Americans oppose private school vouchers—the highest level of opposition to vouchers ever recorded in this survey.
- 59 percent of the public believe increasing mental health services will do more to promote school safety
