Editorial Staff

Poll Finds Mixed Views About Schools’ Pandemic Performance

/in , , , , , /by Editorial Staff
Share on Facebook
Share on Twitter
Share on
LinkedIn
+

Read media coverage of this report in The Boston Herald, NBC 10, WCVB, Boston 25, CommonWealth magazine, State House News Service, WHDH, Yahoo News and EducationNext. 

Massachusetts residents more satisfied with performance of individual teachers than with school districts, teachers’ unions

BOSTON – A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, Massachusetts residents have mixed opinions about how K-12 education has functioned, but they tend to view the performance of individual teachers more favorably than that of institutions like school districts and teachers’ unions, according to a poll of 1,500 residents commissioned by Pioneer Institute.

“Massachusetts residents have not been satisfied with the remote learning Massachusetts schools are providing during the pandemic,” said Pioneer Institute Executive Director Jim Stergios.  “And they place a fair amount of the blame on the shoulders of both school districts and teachers’ unions.”

Overall grades

A plurality of respondents (29 percent) gave schools a grade of “C” for their pandemic performance.  “B” was the second most common grade, at 26 percent.  Overall, 65 percent gave schools an “A”, “B” or “C.”  Seventy percent of parents/guardians rated schools an A, B, or C.

Grades were lower among parents with three or more children.  Twenty-two percent gave the schools an “F,” compared to 13 percent of parents with one child and 11 percent of those with two.

Influence of teachers’ unions

When asked to rate teachers’ union involvement in decisions to teach remotely on a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the most involved, a plurality (31 percent) rated union involvement a 10.  A higher percentage of Bostonians (36 percent) ranked teachers’ union involvement a 10.  Just over half of parents/guardians placed it at 8 or higher.

By a 45 percent to 39 percent margin, state residents believed that teachers’ unions haven’t acted in the best interests of children during the pandemic.  Among parents who don’t work in the schools, 49 percent said the unions have not acted in the best interest of children, compared to 37 percent who believe they have.

Residents were more satisfied with the performance of individual teachers.  About half were very or somewhat satisfied, with only 29 percent somewhat or totally unsatisfied.

Impact on children

Among parents asked how much their children’s education had been compromised during the pandemic as a result of learning remotely, a plurality (21 percent) replied 10 when asked to rate on a 1-10 scale with 10 being the most compromised.   A majority (54 percent) rated the degree to which their children’s education had been compromised at seven or higher.

Sixteen percent of parents said their children’s education was inadequate enough that they would consider having them repeat the grade.  Another 26 percent were unsure.

The more education was remote and asynchronous, the more likely parents were to believe their children should repeat the grade.  Only 9 percent of parents whose children had 16 or more hours per week of synchronous education would consider having them repeat, while the number rose to 23 percent among parents whose children’s education was totally asynchronous.

Forty-three percent of parents believed their children’s socialization has been entirely inadequate during the pandemic.

Parents of children receiving special education services have been generally happy with those services during the pandemic.  Thirty-eight percent said the services have been somewhat adequate and 26 percent said they have been very adequate.

The poll was conducted by Emerson College Polling between March 19 and 21.  It has a +/- 2.4 percent margin of error for the questions asked of Massachusetts residents, 3.9 percent for parent questions and 6.3 percent for parents of children with special needs.

About Pioneer Institute

Pioneer’s mission is to develop and communicate dynamic ideas that advance prosperity and a vibrant civic life in Massachusetts and beyond.

Pioneer’s vision of success is a state and nation where our people can prosper and our society thrive because we enjoy world-class options in education, healthcare, transportation and economic opportunity, and where our government is limited, accountable and transparent.

Pioneer values an America where our citizenry is well-educated and willing to test our beliefs based on facts and the free exchange of ideas, and committed to liberty, personal responsibility, and free enterprise.

Get Updates on Our Education Research

Related Content:

Re-opening for business: What should employers and commercial real estate managers do to prepare?

0 Comments
/
Weeks away from re-opening, now is a time when employers and real estate managers must act. To assist our community in doing a great job of preparing, Pioneer Institute, in partnership with the law firm of Verrill, is sharing two checklists that will help you keep your employees safe, anticipate challenges, and develop feasible and useful methods to successfully deal with those challenges when they do.

Report Finds “Reopening Day” in the Commonwealth Will Likely Include Phasing in Businesses and Contact Tracing

New study compares the reopening of three European countries – Austria, Denmark, and Germany – to highlight approaches that could inform the Commonwealth’s reopening strategy.

To Read or Not to Read Shakespeare? 12 Great Ways to Get to Know The Bard During COVID-19

0 Comments
/
With school closures impacting 50 million children across America, and a challenging transition to remote learning,  many parents are seeking supplementary material to enrich their children's academic experience during COVID-19.  Fortunately, there is a wealth of information available to introduce children of all ages to, arguably, the greatest literary figure in the English-speaking world, William Shakespeare.

States across the country have enacted eviction moratoriums. What does this mean for the housing market in the long-term?

Last week, Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker signed a bill…

A Tipping Point for Telehealth – Bringing Healthcare into Your Home

0 Comments
/
This week on "Hubwonk," Joe Selvaggi and Josh Archambault talk with Dr. Roy Schoenberg, Chief Executive of Amwell, a global telehealth technology company headquartered in Boston, about the promise of telemedicine and how the COVID-19 pandemic has catalyzed broader adoption.

Study Finds Historic Drop in National Reading and Math Scores Since Adoption of Common Core Curriculum Standards

New study shows that, breaking with decades of slow improvement, U.S. reading and math scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) and other assessments have seen historic declines since most states implemented national Common Core English and math curriculum standards six years ago.

COVID-19 Roundup from Pioneer: 90-day prescription refills?; Who has the power to re-open the economy?; Grading the Bay State in Online Learning; The T & COVID prevention; & more!

0 Comments
/
Pioneer staff share their top picks for COVID-19 stories highlighting useful resources, best practices, and questions we should be asking our public and private sector leaders.

Ashley Berner of Johns Hopkins on Academic Quality, Educational Pluralism, & the Providence Public Schools

0 Comments
/
This week on “The Learning Curve,” Cara and Gerard continue coverage of COVID-19’s impact on K-12 education, joined by Ashley Berner, Deputy Director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Education Policy. 

New jobless claims data shows that Massachusetts unemployment has grown from 2.8% to at least 20.4% in five weeks

0 Comments
/
Based on today’s jobless claims report, Pioneer Institute projects that the current unemployment rate in Massachusetts is at least 20.4 percent, with a minimum of 762,299 currently unemployed individuals.

Study Highlights Transit Agency Best Practices in Response to COVID-19

The MBTA is taking a number of important steps to mitigate risks associated with the coronavirus, but some transit agencies around the country - from Philadelphia to San Francisco - have done significantly more, according to a new study that highlights the best practices of U.S. transit systems in response to COVID-19.