A Teachable Moment
Politics is a lot like real life, timing is everything. And I couldn’t help but think that just 24 hours before it became public that Indianapolis Public schools were laying off more than 270 teachers due to declining enrollment, a study would come showing a strong majority of Hoosiers opposed “last hired, first fired” practices when it comes to teacher layoffs.
The poll, conducted by the education reform group Stand for Children, of 600 Hoosiers shows that 83% of voters believe layoff decisions should be based on teacher effectiveness and student achievement and not seniority. The poll, based on the provisions of Senate Bill 1, has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.4%. Here are some other findings…
- 85% of Hoosiers support teacher tenure that’s based on results, not length of service.
- 83% support annual evaluations of teachers.
- 92% believe principals should never be forced to hire a teacher who does not a good fit for their school.
- 88% believe in higher pay for teachers who work in high poverty or low performing schools if they can increase academic performance.
- 76% believe teacher seniority should be more than a third of the factors taken into account when figuring out compensation.
- 49% thought the state was on the wrong track, but 56% thought education in Indiana was on the wrong track.
- 86% had a favorable or somewhat favorable opinion of teachers.
- 44% thought parents and good teachers were the most important factors for a quality education. Only 7% thought money was the most important factor.
Now I know some of you are thinking, “Really, Abdul! A pro-education ‘reform’ group conducted a poll to back what they already think?! The next thing you tell me there’s gambling going on here.” This is why I love you guys, there’s nothing like healthy skeptics.
I’ve embedded a copy of the poll results on my web blog, which you can download all 18 pages and read for yourself. However, if that doesn’t float your boat, here’s a little bit of the demographic breakdown…
Age
- 18-34, 22%; 35-54, 39%; 55 and over, 38%.
Gender
- Women – 52%, Men -48%
Political Affiliation
- Democrats – 28%, Republican – 33% , Independent/Other Party – 38%
Region
- Northern Indiana – 32%, Indianapolis Metro Area – 26%, Central Indiana – 23%, Southern Indiana – 19%.
Children in an Indiana Public School
- Children – 27%, Grandchildren – 24%, No children – 49%.
Households with Teachers (Current or Retired)
- Current teacher – 17%, Retired teacher – 6%, None – 78%.
Union Households
- Did not belong to a union – 77%, Did belong to a union – 22%.
