Black and Hispanic swing state voters say zip codes should not determine where children can attend school
July 10, 2024, Washington, D.C. — A new swing state poll of Black and Hispanic voters released today finds that while a slight majority trust Democrats on the issue of education, more than two-thirds of respondents do not think Congressional Democrats are focused enough on improving K-12 schools.
Two-thirds of these voters also believe public schools are failing children of color and most say graduates are not ready for college or the workforce. However, Black and Hispanic swing state voters do not want to give up on public schools, just the opposite, according to the survey. Public schools, including charter schools, are free and accessible to all, which is a priority for these communities.
The swing state voters provide a solutions roadmap for policymakers on both sides of the aisle to improve school quality.
The poll shows that an overwhelming majority of Black and Hispanic swing state voters want families to have more options in the public school system, specifically the ability to send children to schools other than those they’re assigned to and that will best meet the needs of the children. There is also strong support among respondents for greater investments in public schools, including charter schools, which are free and accessible to all and positively impact students of color.
The survey of seven swing states, Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, was commissioned by brilliant corners, a polling firm led by Democratic strategist Cornell Belcher, on behalf of the nonprofit education advocacy organization, Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools (FCCS).
Detailed Findings
Trust on Education:
- A majority (57%) trust Democrats on education issues, but that advantage is far from solid as a quarter of respondents say neither party or don’t know.
- About a quarter of Hispanic voters trust Republicans more than Democrats on education.
Views on Quality of Education in the U.S.:
- Approximately nine-in-ten (91%) say parents deserve the right to choose the public school that best meets their child’s individual needs.
- More than two-thirds (68%) agree that children in the respondent’s neighborhood would be able to get a better education if they could attend a different school outside their current zip code.
- Nearly the same percentage of respondents (67%) agree that most children who graduate from their assigned public school aren’t yet ready for college or the workforce.
Roadmap to Improve Public School Quality:
Among the ways to improve school quality, the respondents strongly support:
- Increasing funding for all public schools, including public charter schools (90%).
- Giving parents more options of schools to send their children to and making it easier to send children to another school that’s not their local public school (81%).
- Increasing teacher pay (94%).
- Making Black/Latino history part of the curriculum (90%).
“These critical swing state voters are making it clear that Democrats must do more to address the education crisis that disproportionately impacts Black and Hispanic communities, and that begins with investing in additional public school options for families to access,” said Jay Artis-Wright, Executive Director, FCCS. “This is both an education and an economic issue. We risk losing an entire generation of students to poverty and prison if we don’t act with urgency. For Democrats, stronger investments in public charter schools is not just good politics, as the poll demonstrates. It’s also sound policy, as research and data prove charter schools provide Black and Hispanic children with a high-quality education that prepares them for the workforce of the future in a safe environment.”
“Black and Hispanic voters view and experience education differently, particularly parents, and the data shows that they strongly believe that public schools are failing children of their race. Indeed, improving K-12 schools is a top issue concern they want their elected officials focused on and they overwhelmingly believe that Democrats are not focused enough on the issue of education. Furthermore, not only do Black and Latino parents believe they don’t get as much input and respect as other parents, but they also believe that their children have an added burden of having to navigate racism in schools. This in addition to strong concerns about the physical safety of their children in schools clearly points to a desire for change. Latino and African American voters in these swing states are very clear that more must be done to improve student safety, address racism, and ensure families have equal educational opportunities for success. Democratic leaders have an opportunity here to better position themselves in these important battleground states with this key base constituency by addressing their concerns about how the school system is serving their communities and elevating education as a national issue and priority,“ said Cornell Belcher, President of brilliant corners Research & Strategies.
Artis-Wright continued, “Education, particularly schools and classrooms led by people of color, is a bedrock issue for voters of color because a quality education equals economic mobility. In a critical election year, this poll should serve as a clarion call for lawmakers on the issues that matter most to Black and Hispanic voters in swing states.”
Methodology
This is a survey of 806 Black and Hispanic likely voters from battleground states (Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin) with an additional 100 oversample of Black or Hispanic parents. The survey was conducted by phone, using professional interviewers starting on June 4, 2024, and ending on June 17, 2024. The survey’s sample was drawn randomly from the voter file and geographically stratified for proportional representation. The data was weighted slightly to adhere to population demographics of voters in the voter file. The margin of error overall is +/- 3.5 percent, with a 95 percent confidence interval. The margin of error for sub-groups will be higher depending on the size of the sub-group sample and the size of the actual response to any given question.
About the Freedom Coalition for Charter Schools (FCCS)
FCCS is a non-partisan organization that advocates for equitable access to quality public school options for Black and Brown communities as the key driver of economic empowerment and educational advancement.