Charter and private school teachers most optimistic about direction of K-12 education

Teacher enthusiasm over the direction of K-12 education is higher among educators at charter schools and private schools than district schools, according to a recent EdChoice national poll collected by Morning Consult.

The poll surveyed 1,000 K-12 public and private teachers in October on their views on K-12 education, asking about the teaching profession and experiences, teaching opportunities and schooling, and school choice policies.

Respondents were asked: “Do you feel things in K-12 education are generally going in the right direction, or do you feel things have generally gotten off on the wrong track?”

When answering about their own schools, teachers were more optimistic, with 46 percent stating K-12 education is headed in the right direction. Charter school teachers were most optimistic about the direction of their local schools at 58 percent, followed by private school teachers at 56 percent, and district school teachers at 43 percent.

Perceptions were bleaker, though, when asked about the direction of K-12 education in respondents’ states and nationwide, but still showed charter and private school teachers as more positive than district school teachers. Union members were also more optimistic about the direction of K-12 education compared to their non-member peers.

In EdChoice’s 2022 Schooling America survey, public district school parents were less satisfied with their children’s schooling experiences compared to public charter school parents and private school parents. That survey also revealed over 60 percent of Americans believe K-12 education is on the wrong track.