American Adults’ Satisfaction With K-12 Public Education at 20-Year Low: Poll

Nearly every one in four American adults are not at all satisfied with the state of their nation’s K-12 public education, a new poll says.

The latest Gallup poll, released Sept. 1, reports that just 42 percent of respondents said they’re at least somewhat satisfied with the quality of education offered at K-12 public schools in the United States, marking the lowest reading since 2000 (36 percent).

At the same time, 23 percent of respondents said they are “completely dissatisfied,” and 32 percent are “somewhat dissatisfied.”

The sentiment is much more positive when it comes to parents with children in grades K–12, according to the poll. An overwhelming 80 percent of respondents said they are at least somewhat satisfied, while 14 percent are somewhat dissatisfied and just 6 percent are completely dissatisfied. Republican and Republican-leaning parents (74 percent) are less likely to be satisfied than Democrat and Democrat-leaning parents (85 percent).