The public’s demand for school choice, charter schools and education reform is crashing the 2016 presidential election, and those concerned about the direction of the nation’s schools want home-school fan Mitt Romney over Common Core proponent Jeb Bush by a margin of 32 percent to 18 percent, according to a new poll.
Results from the poll, conducted by the American Federation for Children, were obtained by Secrets. The poll found that 69 percent of Americans support school choice. And support for public charter schools is a sky-high 76 percent.
The poll of 1,800 likely voters was conducted by Democratic polling firm Beck Research and revealed a huge lead by Romney, who recently has said he is interested in making a third try for the presidency. In 2012, he supported school choice and homeschooling but decried federal funding for Common Core standards.
His chief opponent in the early GOP primary, Jeb Bush, is a supporter of Common Core and plans to make education his top issue.
But in the poll, Romney leads Bush 32 percent to 18 percent among Republicans. In the Democratic race, the poll echoed all others putting Hillary Rodham Clinton way out in front. She leads 65 percent to 11 percent over Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
The emergence of school choice as a key political demand could help shape the upcoming primaries.
“The findings of this poll reflect what we saw in the 2014 midterms and what I am seeing in communities across the country — a demand from parents for more options in deciding how their children are educated,” said Kevin Chavous, a member of AFC’s executive counsel.
Chavous noted that the supporters of choice did well in 2014 elections and he claimed that national teacher unions are losing on the issue. He said that teachers unions spent at least $80 million in 2014 to fight choice and lost nearly every race.
“As the 2016 primary fights begin, education reform is certain to take center stage — especially as a number of Republican candidates tout their records supporting expanded parental choice. As educational choice is the civil rights issue of the 21st Century, I urge the candidates in my party to recognize the shift in public opinion and embrace parental choice by putting the needs of students first,” he said.
Deborah Beck of Beck Research said in a release, “The poll clearly shows widespread support, among voters of both political parties as well as independents, for school choice. Any public official — or potential candidate for President — who ignores these numbers does so at their own peril.”
Five key findings from poll:
— 69 percent support the concept of school choice, including 45 percent who strongly support it, while 27 percent oppose it.
— 76 percent support public charter schools, with only 20 percent opposing it.
— 54 percent of those surveyed believe that giving parents more choices of schools will improve the education system.
— 65 percent believe choice and competition among schools improves education.
— 62 percent believe we need to make major changes to the ways that public schools are run.
Democrats surveyed were asked which possible presidential candidates they would support if their primary or caucus were held today.
65% – Hillary Clinton
10% – Elizabeth Warren
7% – Joe Biden
2% – Bernie Sanders
1% – Jim Webb
1% – Martin O’Malley
Republicans surveyed were asked which possible presidential candidates they would support if their primary or caucus were held today.
32% – Mitt Romney
18% – Jeb Bush
9% – Rand Paul
6% – Ted Cruz
6% – Scott Walker
5% – Chris Christie
3% – Bobby Jindal
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected].
