August 24, 2022 — In a new report, Never Going Back: An Analysis of Parent Sentiment on Education, from the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools and The Harris Poll released today — August 24, 2022 — parents reveal that they want more and better school options with 93% believing that one-size education doesn’t fit all and 86% wanting options for their kids other than the district-run school they are assigned to attend.
This is something Florida school choice advocates already know. In the sunshine state, enrollment in ed choice programs — including charter schools — has steadily increased over the last two decades. Enrollment in public charter schools has continually risen since their inception in 1996 — now serving more than 11% of the public school student population, and an estimated 47% of the PreK-12 students attended a school of their choice during the 2017-18 school year.
- Parents value choice—93% agree one size doesn’t fit all in education.
- Eighty-six percent of all parents we surveyed want options for their children other than the district school they are zoned for or assigned to attend.
- More than 1 in 4 parents switched the type of schools their children attend, and charter schools are a popular choice among switchers.
- Safety is a #1 priority—77% of parents said safety was absolutely essential when it comes to their child’s education. By contrast, only 58% of parents cited quality of instruction as absolutely essential.
- Parents who switched school types are happy with the choices they made—89% of parents whose children have switched school types report that they or their child experienced a positive change as a result of the switch.
- More than 4 in 5 parents (83%) agree that education has become a more important political issue to them than it was in the past and 82% would be willing to vote outside their political party based on the candidate’s education platform.
Read the full report for more insights into how parents’ views on education have changed since the pandemic. The Never Going Back Release Webinar is available here.
The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools commissioned The Harris Poll to conduct a survey to better understand how parents are feeling about PreK-12 education, whether and why they switched the type of school their children attend, and the motivations of school-type switchers during and prior to the pandemic. This survey of more than 5,000 parents examined their educational choices and patterns, satisfaction with school options, and the likely significance of education as an issue in elections