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Home > Blogs > Lakota Schools News and Issues > Archives > 2009 > September > 23 > Entry
How would you rate Lakota?
According to a PDK Gallup poll, most Americans give their schools high marks. More than 50 percent polled gave their local schools an A or B, which was the poll’s highest results in its 41 year history, according to the Ohio School Boards Association, which printed a brief on the polls. For more go to www.pdkpoll.org.
Here is what the pdk poll site summarized about the results:
Support for NCLB continues to decline. Only one of four Americans believe NCLB has helped schools in their community. But, two to one Americans support annual testing of students in grades three through eight and using a single national test rather than letting each state use its own test.
Almost two out of three Americans support charter schools. But, they show confusion about whether they’re public schools and whether they can charge tuition, teach religion, or select their own students.
Almost three out of four Americans favor merit pay for teachers. Advanced degrees, student academic achievement, and administrator evaluations are the three most favored criteria for awarding merit pay. Americans estimate that teacher salaries are lower than what they believe teachers should receive.
Americans split on teacher tenure, depending on how the question is asked. They disapprove of teachers having a “lifetime contract,” but agree that teachers should have a formal legal review before being terminated.
Almost nine of 10 Americans believe the U.S. dropout rate is either the most important or one of the most important problems facing high schools today.
Americans strongly endorse making either half-day or full-day kindergarten compulsory for all children. Having children start school at age 4 is too early. Americans split on whether they believe starting school earlier would improve a child’s achievement. Five of 10 Americans believe preschool programs should be housed in public schools, with parents even more supportive of that idea.
Americans appear to be open to more innovation in schools. The two issues that are most important for moving schools in the right direction are better teachers and more parental support. Lack of money was cited as the biggest obstacle.
Economic stimulus money should be used to retain teachers slated to be laid off, followed by support to the lowest- performing schools.
Newspapers and school employees remain the top two sources of information about schools.
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