By MARK TALLMAN
Kansas Association of School Boards
It’s a long-standing idea that public education works best when parents and teachers work together. The national Parent Teacher Association is celebrating its 125th anniversary this year. However, at least since the COVID pandemic broke out two years ago, there has been growing debate over how much influence each group should have in setting educational policies.
That debate has also become very political. Teacher’s associations or unions have become strongly associated with Democrats and many Republicans are claiming to be, or want to be, the “parents party.” However, new opinion polls suggest the public really wants to see parents and teachers working together within the public system.
Several opinion polls this summer show teachers as individuals enjoy the highest levels of trust and confidence of any group making education policies that are surveyed. A poll done for Democratic for Education Reform found 73 percent of respondents have a very or somewhat favorable view of teachers. The American Federation of Teachers poll also found the highest level of “confidence” in teachers, with 62 percent having a great deal or fair amount of confidence. (Both polls showed the teachers’ unions or associations polled 20-30 points lower than individual teachers; neither polled about school boards or administrators.) Those numbers are much higher than confidence in the public education system. An annual Gallup poll found only 28 percent of Americans have a “great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in public education.
However, the DFER poll and another survey for the AFT also showed strong support for parents’ voices in education. Parents organizations also had the confidence of a majority (56 percent), which was higher than teachers' unions, governors and legislators, and politicians. The AFT polls found 50 percent of respondents are dissatisfied with the amount of say that parents have in what their children are taught, with 38 percent satisfied.
The AFT poll asked a series of questions whether certain positions would make it more likely or less likely the voter would support a candidate. On the Republicans, the biggest positive differential for Republican candidates was “Believes parents should have more say over what their children learn in school” (33 percent more likely). When the AFT poll asked respondents to choose whether (1) parents should have more say in what their children are taught, or (2) teachers and professionals should determine curriculum, a narrow majority sided with parents.
At the same time, these new polls suggest that the public really would like to see parents and teachers working together. In the AFT poll, when asked if educators should set curriculum with input from parents, a much larger majority agreed more that teachers should set curriculum with parent input than simply parents having more say. For Democratic candidates, the AFT found the third largest positive differential is for a candidate who “Says that teachers and parents should work together to help students succeed, and we shouldn’t let politicians divide us” (plus 70 percent).
In fact, both polls showed frustration over political divisiveness. The AFT poll reported the biggest problem identified for public education is that “Education has become too politicized.” The poll found that 81 percent believe the politicization of education is a big problem. A plurality, 36 percent, say both parties are equally to blame, and slightly more blame “Democrats and liberals” (33 percent) than “Republicans and conservatives “(28 percent). The DFER poll also indicates frustration with both political parties. By two-to-one, respondents say catching kids up in school after the pandemic is more important than addressing how race and gender are taught in schools, but 54 percent say Democrats and 48 percent say Republicans are more focused on race and gender instruction than helping kids recover.
While these polls indicate considerable support for more parental input, there are warnings against going too far. The AFT poll found respondents said they would be less likely to vote for a candidate who would prohibit or prosecute teachers for certain kinds of instruction or allow parents to have books they consider offensive removed from school libraries. The AFT poll also found that respondents were generally more concerned about book bans and censorship than that some students would be taught something their parents will find offensive or inappropriate.
Finally, the DFER poll found 45 percent of voters would be much less likely to vote for a Republican who would supporting book bans, censoring teachers or penalizing teachers for talking about certain subjects, while 26 percent would be more likely.
What this means for school leaders:
These polls suggest the public wants a strong voice for parents but wants its structured so that parents and teachers work together. That may create an opportunity at the local level to develop and showcase models of cooperation.
Kansas teachers have certain rights for input on school districts policies regarding their employment and compensation through collective bargaining laws. Under state law, parents and teachers are to be represented on school building site councils, which are advisory bodies for local school boards. Many districts already use committees of parents, teachers and other educators to consider curriculum, challenges to library books and materials and other policies.
Local school boards, elected by communities that include parents and other family members, can demonstrate ways to strengthen parental input in collaboration with teachers. Rather than legislation that appears to create more conflict, perhaps school leaders can develop proposals to ensure all parties have a voice and allow the elected local school board to balance those concerns.
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In addition to writing The Tallman Education Report, Mark Tallman also serves as the associate executive director for advocacy for the Kansas Association of School Boards.