Special Edition
Vol. 4, No. 32
August 7, 2002

The Public Continues to Support School Choice

        While a circuit court judge in Florida was busy ruling against the state program that allows children in failing schools to get scholarships to move into better schools (see yesterday's Newswire for more details), including private institutions, two major polls found growing support for such school choice measures. 

        The Associated Press asked 1,011 adults on July 17-21, "Do you support or oppose providing parents in low-income families with tax money in the form of vouchers to help pay for their children to attend private or religious schools?"

        The response: Support 51 percent, Oppose 40 percent, Don't know/Refused 9 percent.

        The ABCNews.com poll similarly asked 1,017 adults and found 50 percent of respondents replied in favor of helping low income parents pay private or religious school tuition.

        Both news agencies also asked a bit of devil's bargain question about whether the same people would support the same concept if it "took money from public schools." In reality, choice programs allow money to follow children to schools they choose, giving the schools they leave fewer students and an incentive to make improvements. Research has shown that schools that feel a pinch from departing students react more to choice and work to improve their schools

        In addition, in Florida and cities with choice programs, money for public education has actually increased since the programs were enacted.

        To read the polls. Go to:
* http://www.nandotimes.com/nation/v-text/story/491395p-3921227c.html?printer
* http://abcnews.go.com/sections/us/DailyNews/vouchers_poll020716.html

        There are additional polls coming out over the upcoming days assessing the public's attitudes toward choice. Typically, the way questions are worded can yield different responses. Click here for CER's review of this phenomenon in the past.

        Otherwise, stay tuned.

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The CER Newswire may be redistributed in its entirety with proper attribution. The CER Newswire is published by The Center for Education Reform, the nation's leading authority on school reform. CER is dedicated to making schools better for America's children by improving educational access and excellence for all. CER works with parents, teachers and policymakers to advance meaningful education improvement initiatives.

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