National legislator survey finds strong support for ESAs, vouchers and charter schools

With the election just around the corner,  there is no shortage of polls willing to tell others what the public thinks. So when a pollster tells you they surveyed State Legislators about what they think on K-12 education, choice-based policies and the profession, it catches your attention. It did mine.

In September 2016, EdChoice.org – formerly the Friedman Foundation – surveyed approximately 350 members of the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) on various topics.  EdChoice sought answers to five questions

• What are the levels,margins and intensities of support and opposition for types of K-12 educational choice policies, including education savings accounts (ESAs), school vouchers and public charter schools?
• What types of information sources do state legislators and use for making decisions on K-12 education matters?
• What are the most significant facing legislators  today?
• What sources iof information, activities and other external influences matter for legislative priorities and voting?
• To what extent are legislators loyal and enthusiastic regarding their work?

What did the survey find?

• The majority of state legislators voiced support for Education Savings Accounts, vouchers and public school charters.
• Legislative views on the direction of K-12 education  do not appear to aligned with the general public which thinks that the public schools are not headed in the right direction.  In addition, legislative views on school vouchers and charter schools diverge with the views of the public on these same issues Legislators are less likely to support vouchers than the general public but more likely to support charter schools than the general public.
• Legislators trusted personal contacts and networks above all else when it came to learning about K-12 education matters.
• State legislators said they have a high degree of faith in personal networks, communications, and legislative staff and relatively less trust in lobbyists, polls and news media.

The EdChoice survey provides a wealth of information for legislators  and legislative staffers. School choice supporters will also find much in the survey to be happy about. If they are wise however they will also learn how to tailor their message to fit the constraints and commitments of legislators.

The full report can be found here.