According to a new Gallup poll, most Americans remain dissatisfied with the quality of K-12th grade education. In fact, 55% of respondents to an Aug. 1-20 poll said they are “completely or somewhat dissatisfied,” with just 43% saying they are “completely or somewhat satisfied.” While that is an improvement from the all-time low of 36% satisfaction in 2023, it remains one of the worst numbers on record.
Gallup has been tracking U.S. opinions of education since 1999. The 2024 level of satisfaction is below the 45% average over the past 25 years.
On the far ends of the spectrum, only 9% of Americans say they are “completely satisfied” with quality of K-12 education, while 21% are “completely dissatisfied.”
Political leanings seem to play a role in the level of satisfaction with only 33% of Republicans happy with education, and 53% of Democrats saying the same. The 20-point satisfaction gap between Democrats and Republicans is the largest on record.
In addition to educational quality, parents are also concerned about safety in school, with 44% of U.S. adults with a child in K-12th grade saying they fear for their oldest child’s personal safety at school. That is one of the highest levels recorded by Gallup over the last quarter century.
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While the Gallup poll does not explain the reasons why parents are so unhappy with the state of education, the new polling data coincides with a radical shift in the delivery of K-12 education. Many parents have opted out of standard brick-and-mortar public schools in favor of homeschooling, private education and public charter schools.
This comes at a time when many public-school districts are doubling down on controversial curriculum, offensive library books and policies that push critical race theory, LGBTQ dogma and other social agendas that are at odds with many parents.
In Alaska, about one in five children enrolled in public education are now being homeschooled, while private schools and public charter schools continue to see growing numbers and long wait lists to get in.
