California Parent Power is excited to launch our polling series, the CA Parent Poll which will share insights and opinions from registered California voters, including a sizable sample of parents, on issues affecting our state’s TK-12 public school system.

The last two years have had a profound effect on California students and their families. From the growing mental health crisis to the teacher shortage to the long-term impact of learning loss, public school parents are on the front line of nearly three years of cascading crisis.

The CA Parent Poll series will offer a representative point of view from across the Golden State with the goal of advocating at the local, state and national level for child-centered policies and communities.

As the old adage goes: It takes a village to raise a child. The CA Parent Polls series will raise visibility for the concerns keeping parents (and kids) up at night, to help shape, inform and drive forward policies that keep what’s best for children at the center of the public conversation.  

Support for CA Parent Poll:

Lakisha Young

“Right now, fewer than 2 in 10 Black and Brown kids in Oakland are reading at or above grade level; fewer than 1 in 10 Black and Brown kids are doing math at or above grade level. We are done waiting for change," said Lakisha Young, Founder and CEO of The Oakland REACH., “Parents from the Hills to the Flatlands all want the same thing for their kids: good reading skills and good math skills so they can have good jobs and good lives. This isn't political - this is our families' futures. That's why it's time for leaders to do more than just engage parents. They need to put families at the center of decision-making."

Mister Phillips

"Our children and families in Richmond and across CaliforniaA need leadership that puts children's needs at the center," said WCCUSD School Board Director Mister Phillips.  "As Richmond Mayor, I'll work to build new coalitions and communities that work together to help every family succeed."

Jennifer Peck

“It’s important that California leads when it comes to the health and wellness of children,” said Jennifer Peck, Executive Director of the Partnership for Children and Youth.  “While it is obvious that parents are fundamental to the health and wellness of children, it’s also crucial that they are recognized as advocates driving change in school and out of school.”

Ted Lempert 

“The greatest state should not rank 34th out of 50th in overall child wellness, but that’s where we stand,” said Ted Lempert, President of Children Now, which coordinates The Children’s Movement of California.  “It’s important that parents are helping to drive child-centered communities.”

Carl Cohn

“The best functioning public schools work in close dialogue with parents,” said Carl Cohn, Clinical Professor of Education, Professor Emeritus at Claremont Graduate School and former Long Beach Unified Superintendent., “Listening to parents is the way great schools happen.”

Laura Babitt

“Our kids, parents and families deserve child-centered communities,” said Berkeley School Board Director Laura Babitt.  “We have to build Berkeley back stronger and that starts with listening to what parents, adolescents and teens say they need to be healthy, whole and thriving.”

Both Parents and Non-Parents are Deeply Worried about California’s Public Education System

Californians are deeply concerned about the education system. When thinking about the myriad issues that the children of today face, both parents and non-parents are most likely to say they are concerned about the quality of education in California. Additionally, just 40% of Californians approve of how the school system has functioned since the start of the pandemic, a 12-pt decline compared to before the pandemic. 

• 81% of California voters say that the health and wellness needs of children are different from those of their teachers and other personnel. While teachers’ needs are very important, they shouldn’t be the only consideration.

• Californians are worried about the quality of education and (41%) have confidence that the government has a plan to get education back on track. 

• There are four clear priorities for the Covid relief funding that has been allocated to schools: 

  • Mental health support

  • Addressing learning loss

  • Hiring more teachers and support staff

  • Increasing teachers’ salaries and benefits. 

• Comparatively, asymptomatic Covid testing was selected as a top spending priority by only 7% of registered California voters 

Political Dynamics

Three in four (77%) Californians say that they are more likely to vote for any politician with a plan to get children’s education, health and well-being back on track. That is a political opportunity for Governor Newsom and Democratic leaders, especially considering 71% of registered California voters, including 50% of Democrats, believe that The Democrats take California voters for granted. 

• Californians have soured on Gavin Newsom. Currently, 40% of registered California voters  have a “favorable” impression of Newsom, 10% have a “neutral” impression and 49% have an “unfavorable” view of the Governor.  Just 38% of registered California voters  have a “favorable” impression of Democratic politicians in California. While this is higher than for Republicans (22%), voters are feeling disgruntled about their leaders. 

• Parents/guardians of school-aged children are especially critical of Democrats in the state. Newsom receives a net-negative favorability score of -23 from parents, compared to -5 for those who are not parents of young children. Similarly, net-negative scores are worse for the CA state government (-23 parents vs. -7 non-parents) and CA Democratic politicians (-25 parents vs. -4 non-parents).

State of Education

• The vast majority of Californians (80%) and parents of school aged children (81%) believe that children will be dealing with the consequences of the pandemic for years to come. 

• 61% of registered California voters, and 64% of parents agree that health risks caused by school closures, such as depression and lack of physical exercise, are far greater than the risk of a child getting Covid.

• Californians tend to have either a favorable or neutral impression of teachers (60% favorable, 21% neutral) and local schools (43% favorable, 30% neutral). There is a broader range of opinion of local school boards, school administrators and teachers unions, reflective of what have become predictable partisan patterns: Democrats have a net-positive impression of these groups, and Republicans feel much more negatively about them. This is especially true for teacher unions (+63 for Democrats, -8 for Independents, -64 for Republicans).