A recent survey of “likely Louisiana voters” shows widespread dissatisfaction with public education in the state. The survey from Southern Media & Opinion Research Inc., conducted twice annually, is funded by Baton Rouge businessman Lane Grigsby, whose Alliance for Better Classrooms political action committee was very active in the recent Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary Education elections. When asked to grade public education in general, just 4% of respondents gave it an “A,” while 36% gave it a “C,” 29% gave it a “D” and 13% gave it an “F.” Survey results also showed:
• 26% say the quality of public education is improving, 31% say it’s getting worse, and 41% say it’s staying the same.
• 53% say they’re dissatisfied with public schools in their own parish, compared to 41% who are very satisfied.
• 67% say they support Gov. Bobby Jindal’s plan to reform public education.
• 25% say the main problem Jindal and lawmakers face is education; 22% say jobs and unemployment constitute the main problem.
• 90% say they support changes that would require tenured teachers to undergo periodic approval to keep their status.
The statewide poll was completed by phone with 601 people from Nov. 28 through Dec. 3. The margin of error is 4%.
