Poll: Texans praise public schools in the pandemic

When we conducted our first annual poll of Texans' perceptions on public education at the end of 2019, no one foresaw what would happen just one year later.

The year 2020 brought a global pandemic that shuttered our schools, racial unrest that forced us to examine the role education plays in our society, and countless challenges to how schools support communities — from instruction to emotional support to feeding students and families.

Despite this tremendous upheaval, Texans’ support, respect and admiration for teachers and the institution of public education grew stronger in 2020.

In our second annual survey — the nation’s only poll that comprehensively examines the public's perception of a state education system's response to the pandemic — an overwhelming 92% of Texans report the same or more appreciation for their schools than before. Texans’ ratings of school quality also jumped substantially from the previous year.

These findings stand in stark contrast to the anecdotes about the publics' initial frustration with our schools' pandemic response. And while some groups have tried to use that narrative to argue for policies like vouchers or the expansion of charter and virtual schools that would dismantle our district schools, it's clear Texans have developed a deeper appreciation for the role public schools play. In fact, our poll finds Texans developed a deeper appreciation for educators and local schools, and perhaps a greater understanding of the foundational role schools play for students, families and communities.

Rather than dividing communities on the importance of public education, 2020 resulted in Texans rallying around the idea that public schools are an integral part of our social fabric. The past year also revealed a persistent racial inequity in education and its pervasive impacts on people of color. Our poll showed that Texans believe students face learning barriers based on income, race and ethnicity, with Black and Hispanic Texans expressing the greatest concerns.

Other notable new insights include:

• Texans believe money matters in addressing the pandemic in schools, and that students and families need better access to technology and broadband. Texans also indicated a willingness to look at several new state revenue sources to support public education.
• Texans wonder about the role and value of standardized testing in evaluating student learning. More than half of Texans lack confidence in our state standardized test — a significant red flag and an opportunity for a statewide conversation about creating a new, robust, multi-measured and instructive accountability system.
• When schools swiftly shifted to remote learning environments, parents saw firsthand how challenging it was for their children to stay engaged — and how important social interactions in school environments are to students. While questions remain about the best way to move forward on the appropriate role of technology, our poll found only 19% of parents said remote learning is "very" effective for their students.

Our hope is these data inspire education advocates, reformers, scholars and policymakers to ask questions, reflect and innovate to create more robust systems to support students and families. Let’s look deeply into the data, then begin a substantive, Texas-sized conversation about the bigger changes needed to strengthen and improve public education in our state. For the full poll results, please visit RaiseYourHandTexas.org/2021poll.