By Fritz Edelstein
April 26, 2004

Learn. Vote. Act: The Public's Responsibility for Public Education is the title of the fifth annual national survey of public opinion of registered voters conducted for the Public Education Network and Education Week, and funded by MetLife. It was released in April 2004 and reveals that the American public continues to see education as a vital national priority, an important investment in the future, and a major issue in the upcoming local, state and national elections.

What is most interesting is that voters across all demographic groups view the public schools as the center of their community and put a high value on public education. There is also an increased awareness of the No Child Left Behind Act. 74 percent of voters had heard about the law and some of the key implementation problems. This is compared to 56 percent in 2003.

One thing is very clear from the responses to this poll. Responsibility for quality public schooling for all children cannot be left to parents, educators, and students alone. A significant number of responders believe that it is everyone's responsibility to make sure all children receive a quality public education. This requires more focused community action; better information about education issues, adequate and stable financial resources, and elected officials at all levels that are held accountable for what they do to strengthen our system of public education.

Voters responding to this poll stated that strong parental involvement and leadership from elected officials are key determinants of community commitment to quality education. The responders also indicated that strong leadership from office holders in education is a very critical element. From presidential aspirants to mayors, everyone wanted to know which and how candidates will protect and improve the quality of education. Irrespective of demographics or political affiliation, the majority of respondents say they are more likely to support candidates that place education at the forefront of their agendas.

Americans are paying close attention to what goes on in their public schools. Citizens are voting for tax increases, discussing education issues, and following school board activities. They also expressed concern about state budgets and believe that public education is under funded at all levels, and public education funding needs to be protected from budget cuts.

Education continues to be a top national priority even in the midst of the war on terrorism and the concerns over the economy, joblessness and healthcare. It ranks second only to the economy and jobs as the biggest concern of registered voters. The majority of voters, 59 percent, say there is not enough federal funding for education in their community, and about the same percentage say there is insufficient funding for public education nationally.

The four highest priorities in education expressed by the voters are early childhood education including the full funding of Head Start, reduce class size, increase teacher pay and teacher training. And, private school vouchers were at the bottom of the list of key education priorities.

The poll's results reinforce the Conference of Mayors position that mayors need to take a leadership role and be involved in the efforts to improve teaching and learning in their local schools. The voters indicate they want locally elected officials engaged and involved in education, but not necessarily managing the system.