New York – The League of Education Voters – the parent organization of NY EdPAC – released new polling data today in three battleground State Senate districts showing voters are deeply concerned that the Senate majority has not come up with a formula to fairly fund New York’s public schools.
In all three districts voters chose education as their number one issue concern for the fall elections – ranking higher then jobs, healthcare and property taxes.
The poll of 900 voters in the 3rd (Trunzo, Suffolk), 11th (Padavan, Queens), and 35th (Spano, Westchester) State Senate Districts was conducted from March 11-18 by Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies, a Washington, D.C. based polling firm.
“After reading this poll, if I were a State Senator I would be very nervous heading into this election without a major down payment on the CFE case,” stated Cornell Belcher, President of Brilliant Corners.
The poll found that 88% of voters are either very concerned (57%) or somewhat concerned (31%) that the State Senate has actively disobeyed the CFE court ruling and blocked additional funding for poor school districts.
“The message we heard from the voters in Queens, Westchester and Suffolk was loud and clear: stop ignoring the CFE ruling and come up with a funding formula that provides a real solution for all public schools,” stated Belcher.
“Across all three districts only 42% of voters approved of the job the state legislature is doing in Albany. Voters are coming into this election concerned about education, skeptical about incumbents, and demanding a solution for New York’s public schools,” stated Elizabeth Sullivan, Executive Director of the League of Education Voters.
A memorandum discussing poll results is below:
March 23, 2006
TO: The League of Education Voters and interested parties
FR: Cornell Belcher
RE: Key findings from a poll of voters in New York State Senate Districts 3, 11 & 35
A recent survey of voters in New York State Senate Districts 3, 11 and 35[1] reveals that:
· Voters are deeply concerned that the State Legislature, particularly the State Senate, has yet to comply with the court order to provide all school districts in the state with adequate funding to provide New York children a meaningful high school education
· When asked to rate the importance of various priorities for improving the public schools, voters rate “making sure that all school districts around the state have enough funding to provide students a meaningful high school education” higher than any other priority
· Education is voters’ top issue concern going into the fall elections, ranking higher even than jobs, healthcare, and property taxes
· Voters are strongly committed to doing what it takes to fund public education
· Voters overwhelmingly believe it is morally wrong that we allow more than one-third of the kids in New York state to slip through the cracks and drop out of school; and
· Voters nearly universally believe in the fundamental principle that every child in the state should have the opportunity to attend a quality public school.
Education is voters’ top concern going into November
On a scale of 0 to 10, voters give education a mean rating of 8.47, making it the most important issue in deciding their vote going into the November elections. Education ranks higher than other top-tier issues like the economy and jobs (8.17), Social Security and retirement (8.11), health care and prescription drugs (8.10), corruption in government (8.03), and property taxes (7.93).
Voters strongly support the public schools
Voters are willing to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to supporting public schools — 55% always or often support school budgets and education bond proposals, 61% are at least somewhat willing to have their taxes increased to support public education, and just 1% would choose cutting education funding as the best method to relieve burdensome property taxes.
Voters believe the State Senate is out of sync on public schools
While voters themselves strongly support the public schools, they are not so sure that feeling is shared by their State Senators. 88% of voters are either very concerned (57%) or somewhat concerned (31%) that the State Senate has actively disobeyed the CFE court ruling and blocked additional funding for poor school districts.
Given their concern over corruption in government and their disapproval of the state Senate’s blocking of education funding reform, it is not surprising that just 42% of voters approve of the job the state legislature in Albany is doing.
Overwhelming majorities believe dropout rate is a moral wrong and that all students should have access to quality public schools
The vast majority of voters agree with two fundamental values: that it is morally wrong that we allow more than one-third of the kids in New York state to slip through the cracks and drop out of school (82%), and that every child in the state should have the opportunity to attend quality public schools (97%).
Voters believe providing a “meaningful high school education” to all New York students should be the top priority for improving schools
When asked to rate the importance of various solutions for improving public schools, voters gave “making sure that all school districts around the state have enough funding to provide students a meaningful high school education” a mean score of 8.70 on a scale of 0 to 10. That ranks it ahead of a list of fifteen other items as the highest-rated priority for improving the public schools. The fact that this “meaningful high school education” language resonates so strongly with voters in these districts makes it clear that they a) are aware of and b) strongly support the CFE court decision that mandated the state to insure enough funding for all school districts around the state to provide a “meaningful high school education”.
New York – The League of Education Voters – the parent organization of NY EdPAC – released new polling data today in three battleground State Senate districts showing voters are deeply concerned that the Senate majority has not come up with a formula to fairly fund New York’s public schools.
In all three districts voters chose education as their number one issue concern for the fall elections – ranking higher then jobs, healthcare and property taxes.
The poll of 900 voters in the 3rd (Trunzo, Suffolk), 11th (Padavan, Queens), and 35th (Spano, Westchester) State Senate Districts was conducted from March 11-18 by Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies, a Washington, D.C. based polling firm.
“After reading this poll, if I were a State Senator I would be very nervous heading into this election without a major down payment on the CFE case,” stated Cornell Belcher, President of Brilliant Corners.
The poll found that 88% of voters are either very concerned (57%) or somewhat concerned (31%) that the State Senate has actively disobeyed the CFE court ruling and blocked additional funding for poor school districts.
“The message we heard from the voters in Queens, Westchester and Suffolk was loud and clear: stop ignoring the CFE ruling and come up with a funding formula that provides a real solution for all public schools,” stated Belcher.
“Across all three districts only 42% of voters approved of the job the state legislature is doing in Albany. Voters are coming into this election concerned about education, skeptical about incumbents, and demanding a solution for New York’s public schools,” stated Elizabeth Sullivan, Executive Director of the League of Education Voters.
A memorandum discussing poll results is below:
March 23, 2006
TO: The League of Education Voters and interested parties
FR: Cornell Belcher
RE: Key findings from a poll of voters in New York State Senate Districts 3, 11 & 35
A recent survey of voters in New York State Senate Districts 3, 11 and 35[1] reveals that:
· Voters are deeply concerned that the State Legislature, particularly the State Senate, has yet to comply with the court order to provide all school districts in the state with adequate funding to provide New York children a meaningful high school education
· When asked to rate the importance of various priorities for improving the public schools, voters rate “making sure that all school districts around the state have enough funding to provide students a meaningful high school education” higher than any other priority
· Education is voters’ top issue concern going into the fall elections, ranking higher even than jobs, healthcare, and property taxes
· Voters are strongly committed to doing what it takes to fund public education
· Voters overwhelmingly believe it is morally wrong that we allow more than one-third of the kids in New York state to slip through the cracks and drop out of school; and
· Voters nearly universally believe in the fundamental principle that every child in the state should have the opportunity to attend a quality public school.
Education is voters’ top concern going into November
On a scale of 0 to 10, voters give education a mean rating of 8.47, making it the most important issue in deciding their vote going into the November elections. Education ranks higher than other top-tier issues like the economy and jobs (8.17), Social Security and retirement (8.11), health care and prescription drugs (8.10), corruption in government (8.03), and property taxes (7.93).
Voters strongly support the public schools
Voters are willing to put their money where their mouth is when it comes to supporting public schools — 55% always or often support school budgets and education bond proposals, 61% are at least somewhat willing to have their taxes increased to support public education, and just 1% would choose cutting education funding as the best method to relieve burdensome property taxes.
Voters believe the State Senate is out of sync on public schools
While voters themselves strongly support the public schools, they are not so sure that feeling is shared by their State Senators. 88% of voters are either very concerned (57%) or somewhat concerned (31%) that the State Senate has actively disobeyed the CFE court ruling and blocked additional funding for poor school districts.
Given their concern over corruption in government and their disapproval of the state Senate’s blocking of education funding reform, it is not surprising that just 42% of voters approve of the job the state legislature in Albany is doing.
Overwhelming majorities believe dropout rate is a moral wrong and that all students should have access to quality public schools
The vast majority of voters agree with two fundamental values: that it is morally wrong that we allow more than one-third of the kids in New York state to slip through the cracks and drop out of school (82%), and that every child in the state should have the opportunity to attend quality public schools (97%).
Voters believe providing a “meaningful high school education” to all New York students should be the top priority for improving schools
When asked to rate the importance of various solutions for improving public schools, voters gave “making sure that all school districts around the state have enough funding to provide students a meaningful high school education” a mean score of 8.70 on a scale of 0 to 10. That ranks it ahead of a list of fifteen other items as the highest-rated priority for improving the public schools. The fact that this “meaningful high school education” language resonates so strongly with voters in these districts makes it clear that they a) are aware of and b) strongly support the CFE court decision that mandated the state to insure enough funding for all school districts around the state to provide a “meaningful high school education”.