Eighty-two percent of teachers say public education has gotten worse in the last five years, according to a Pew survey. Fifty-three percent predict it will continue going downhill; only 20 percent expect an upswing.
Democrats were as negative as Republicans.
The political climate and the lasting effects of the pandemic get most of the blame.
Public education is heading in the wrong direction, according to 50 percent of U.S. adults surveyed by Pew. Only 16 percent think it's going in the right direction.
Republicans and Republican-leaning independents are more downbeat on K-12 schools than Democrats and Democrat-leaners.
But only 23 percent on the left and 10 percent on the right think public schools are headed in the right direction.
Among the pessimists, 69 percent say schools are not spending enough time on core academic subjects, reports Rachel Minkin.
Another 54 percent blame "teachers bringing their personal political and social views into the classroom" and 52 percent say schools need more funding and resources.
Thirteen percent of Republicans and Republican leaners think parents have too much influence on schools, compared to 46 percent of Democrats and Democrat leaners.
Only 33 percent of public school educators in high-poverty neighborhoods believe they're doing a good job preparing students for college, reports Joshua Bay on The 74. Forty-three percent say their students are prepared for the workforce, according to a new study by the National Center for Education Statistics.
In low-poverty areas, more than half say their students are prepared for college (52 percent) and jobs (53 percent).