Thirty-nine percent of parents with children in traditional public schools are satisfied with their child's education, according to the new Education Opportunity in America report by 50CAN.
The most satisfied -- 70 percent -- have a child in a parochial or other religious school, and non-religious private schools and homeschools are close behind at 65 percent. About half of those with kids in public magnets, charters, online schools and microschools are satisfied.
Support for school choice -- especially parent-controlled Education Savings Accounts -- is high, reports Colyn Ritter, citing EdChoice's Schooling in America Survey. "About two-thirds of Americans support school vouchers, charter schools, and tax-credit scholarships. Support for ESAs is much higher at 76 percent." Parents with school-age children are even more enthusiastic.
Support for school choice could help Donald Trump carry the swing states, predicts Corey DeAngelis, a choice advocate, in the New York Post.
"Trump promoted school choice at his campaign stop in deep-blue Milwaukee last week," perhaps aware that "nearly three-quarters of Wisconsin school parents support private school choice in the form of education savings accounts," he writes.
In Pennsylvania, a must-win state for Democrats, 75 percent of school parents support school choice, DeAngelis writes. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro is pro-choice. But Kamala Harris passed him up as a running mate, going with "the teachers union’s preferred candidate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.
Education isn't usually a key issue in presidential races. But this year is, to coin a phrase, weird.
Charter schools are gaining students -- primarily black and Hispanic students -- as district enrollment continues to fall.
Add to that the percentages that aren't paying attention, have blind faith that schools know what they are doing, have language barriers that leave them with little power of oversight, etc. That's worth another 10% or two.
Ann in L.A.