13% give public schools an A/B grade

Only 13 percent of Americans have confidence in the nation's public schools, according to the annual poll by PDK International, an educators' group. Support for local schools is higher at 43 percent, but falling.

Support for private school choice is rising, reports Linda Jacobson in The 74. Fifty-nine percent of parents say they would choose a private school for their child if public funding, such as a tax-credit scholarship or voucher, made it affordable.

Support for charter and lab schools remains steady, PDK reports. Black families are the strongest supporters.

Most adults favor limiting smartphone use during the school day with 40 percent backing a full-day ban and 46 percent saying phones should be allowed only during lunch and breaks. Only 11 percent support unrestricted use.

Sixty-one percent say diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives are "very" or "somewhat" important, including 89 percent of Democrats, 62 percent of independents and 22 percent of Republicans. However, that's much lower than the support for school safety (99 percent), making students feel welcome (98 percent) and providing career-tech education and addressing teacher shortages, both at 97 percent.

Some schools have rebranded DEI as "belonging," says Nicki Neily, who runs the anti-DEI group, Defending Education. "Belonging" is popular.

Two-thirds of those surveyed opposed abolishing the U.S. Education Department.