Survey Reveals Public Wants Change in Education

 From ConnCAN

With just two weeks left before election day, a new public opinion survey commissioned by ConnCAN (the Connecticut Coalition for Achievement Now) reveals that large majorities of Connecticut voters are looking to the next governor to make education reform a top priority.

To see the full results of the survey, click here.

“This survey confirms what we have been saying for years – that Connecticut voters are tired of excuses and half measures when it comes to tackling America’s worst achievement gap,” said Alex Johnston, ConnCAN’s CEO. “This is a true call to action for the next governor to make fundamental education reform job number one.”

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SURVEY

STRONG LEADERSHIP: Connecticut voters want new, bold leadership on public education, and believe that state leaders are responsible for moving Connecticut from complacency to action. 


86% believe that new leaders must be recruited in the governor’s office, at the State Board of Education, and in the State Department of Education who are committed to making fundamental reforms to the state’s education system.

62% of voters agree that the governor should be held responsible for the quality of the state’s education system.

EFFECTIVE TEACHERS: Connecticut voters believe that all children, regardless of their backgrounds, should be taught by excellent teachers – and that we should be able to hire, fire, compensate, and promote teachers according to their proven ability to educate students.

89% agree that decisions about teacher hiring, layoffs, salary, and tenure should be based on a number of factors related to teachers’ demonstrated performance, including their students’ achievement growth, rather than only their length of time in the classroom, as these decisions are currently made.

91% think it is important that teachers who have been given multiple chances to improve but consistently fail to provide their students with a quality education should be removed from the classroom.

73% agree that high-quality teacher and principal candidates who come from non-traditional backgrounds should not have to jump through unnecessary hoops to secure a job.

CONSISTENT FUNDING: Connecticut voters believe that students should receive consistent levels of public funding in the schools they actually attend, and that this funding should be centered on student need rather than determined by a series of tangled, arbitrary funding streams.

91% agree that Connecticut needs a simple, transparent and fair state funding system that funds students based on their needs, regardless of what public school they attend.

87% of voters agree that schools and districts know better than the State Department of Education how best to educate their students and should have more flexibility to use their funding in ways that meet their students’ needs.

75% agree that state funding for public education should follow individual students to whatever public school they choose to attend, including magnet, charter, technical, and traditional public schools outside of their own district or neighborhood.

EXCELLENT SCHOOLS: Connecticut voters believe that all students should have access to a great public school – no matter where they live.


81% of voters think the state should increase its number of high-quality schools of choice, including magnet schools, charter schools, and technical schools, to meet the needs of all students.

57% agree that it is unfair that families with money can choose to relocate to a district with a better school or send their children to private schools if they do not like their district school, but lower-income families cannot do this.