AP Buys Education Clue

The Associated Press might actually be onto something in its education coverage. “An Associated Press-Stanford University Poll on education found that 68 percent of adults believe parents deserve heavy blame for what’s wrong with the U.S. education system — more than teachers, school administrators, the government or teachers unions,” Donna Gordon Blankenship wrote in an AP story that went out on December 12, 2010. “Only 35 percent of those surveyed agreed that teachers deserve a great deal or a lot of the blame.”

“Moms were more likely than dads — 72 percent versus 61 percent — to say parents are at fault. Conservatives were more likely than moderates or liberals to blame parents. Those who said parents are to blame were more likely to cite a lack of student discipline and low expectations for students as serious problems in schools. They were also more likely to see fighting and low test scores as big problems.”

The parents surveyed went on to show why they make such terrific enablers. “Most said education in their local public schools is excellent or good, but 67 percent also believe the U.S. is falling behind the rest of the world when it comes to education,” Blankeship reported. “But a majority of parents see improvement in the system since they were in school: 55 percent believe their children are getting a better education than they did, and three-quarters rate the quality of education at their child’s school as excellent or good. Most say their child’s school is doing a good job preparing students for college, the work force and life as an adult.”

The parents should survey themselves to see why high school graduates a half-century ago know more than college students do now.

Malcolm A. Kline is the Executive Director of Accuracy in Academia.

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