Concerns About Public Education Are Growing — Education Leaders Need to Do More to Improve Outcomes
By Myrna Castrejón, President & CEO, California Charter Schools Association
Two years since schoolchildren returned to in-person classes, California voters have a growing concern about the direction of our state’s public education system, with the majority saying it is getting worse and calling for significant change.
Every year, the California Charter Schools Association (CCSA) commissions a statewide poll to understand how voters feel about the State’s public education system. It is a valuable pulse-check for education and policy leaders and provides insight into perceptions about education. This year’s poll, conducted by Goodwin Simon Strategic Research, tells us that Californians, particularly parents, want change and more public school choices.
According to the findings, voters who say that the quality of education in California public schools has “gotten worse” has grown by 13 points, from 38 percent in 2020 to 51 percent in 2023. Sixty percent say we need “major changes” to our public education system. A vast majority — 63 percent — agree that parents should have more choices within public schools. This increases among parents, with 73 percent wanting more choices.
The results also underscore that the pendulum of public opinion is swinging in favor of charter public schools. Charter public schools offer a different approach to public education — one that is as unique as the kids of California. We know that one size does not fit all regarding education. Charter public schools offer the personal attention, creativity, and passionate teaching students need to succeed academically. Charter public schools offer parents a choice in their child’s education, free from red tape and bureaucracy between students, teachers, and learning.
This year’s poll finds that 57 percent of Californians support charter public schools, up from 47 in 2020. Eighty-five percent believe that parents should have the right to choose a charter public school if they think it is better for their child.
Charter leaders often tell me that as families seek more affordable living conditions and move away from coastal cities toward inland counties and the Central Valley, more are seeking charter schools like the ones they enjoyed in Los Angeles and the Bay Area, and we see that reflected in the increase in enrollment in those areas.
Support for charter public schools is increasing because they offer high-quality education and specialized programs. A recent study by Stanford University’s Center for Research on Education Outcomes (CREDO) showed that charter public schools outperform traditional public schools in California and nationwide.
CREDO’s study found that the dedicated efforts by charter public school teachers to educate our state’s most vulnerable and underserved students make a difference and change lives. The study finds that students entering California’s charter public schools are more likely to be low-performing and less likely to be high-performing than their peers in traditional public schools yet achieve more substantial gains.
This year’s CCSA poll is a wake-up call for our state legislators and local education leaders across the state. They must demonstrate that they are listening and move to provide more families with high-quality public schools that help students succeed in college, career, and life.
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For more information about charter public schools in your area, visit https://www.ccsa.org/find-a-school.
