Parents Nationwide Decry Declining Public School Performance and Push for Choice

For the first time in the 27-year history of the Gallup/Walton Family Foundation poll, only 32% of Americans express satisfaction with public schools, an 11-point drop in two years. National Assessment of Educational Progress exams show a nationwide dip in proficiency, and recent PISA results reveal that U.S. 15-year-olds have reached near-worst reading scores in 25 years, with math scores also among the lowest since 2000.

The article attributes these trends to factors such as excessive social-media use and the influence of teacher unions, which it says resist rigorous testing and promote political indoctrination and DEI initiatives. As a result, many parents are leaving districts in cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, turning to homeschooling, charter schools where available, or private schools if affordable. Mississippi is highlighted as an exception, having improved reading outcomes without strong union opposition. The piece argues that higher public-school spending now correlates with poorer results, fueling growing support for school-choice policies.