Research
As new backpacks are stuffed with fresh notebooks and pencils and teachers prep their classrooms for the return of students, a public opinion survey released today shows many voters lack confidence in K–12 quality and funding.
The statewide survey of 600 voters commissioned by Launch Michigan shows that 54 percent of voters approve of Michigan’s current public education system, while 27 percent disapprove.
Nearly two-thirds of respondents in the survey believe lack of classroom funding is impacting quality, with only 25 percent of voters saying Michigan public schools have enough money, and 65 percent saying they need more funding. The most overwhelming support on the survey was for increased funding for students with extra learning needs, with 90 percent approving of additional money for students that are experiencing disability, language skills or poverty.
With educator shortages crippling the state’s K–12 workforce and impacting learning opportunities for students, Launch Michigan has gathered input from the state’s teachers and building-level administrators with an eye toward understanding the issues at play.
Launch Michigan contracted with Emma White Research to survey public school educators in May, uncovering many of the policy and funding levers that can help reverse these trends and strengthen the state’s public schools—and, ultimately, the state’s economy.