A new national poll of Black parents, commissioned by EdChoice, reveals strong support for public charter schools. Such support remains high regardless of respondents’ income, education, political affiliation or other demographic descriptors.
The poll, conducted by Morning Consult in January-February 2023, queried more than 1,300 Black parents across the United States. The poll assessed parents’ views on education as well as their support for different school choice policies.
Nearly three quarters of Black parents support public charter schools
Overall, 68% of Black parents said they supported public charter schools. This figure was even higher, 74%, when pollsters provided a description for public charter schools: “Charter schools are public schools that have more control over their own budget, staff, and curriculum, and are exempt from many existing public school regulations.”
Among Black parents, Democrats were even more likely to support public charter schools than Republicans or Independents (77% of Democrats versus 72% of Republicans and Independents). Urban parents were most supportive of public charter schools, followed by suburban and then rural parents.
Screenshot from: EdChoice, “Black Parents and K-12 Education: A National Polling Report,” March 2023. Poll conducted by Morning Consult.
Parents’ school choices reflect their top priorities
Not surprisingly, parents share many of the same priorities for their child’s education, regardless of their school choice. But how parents rank these priorities is reflected in their school choice. For instance, parents who chose a public district school for their children were most likely to cite location as the driving factor. However, parents who chose public charter and private schools were more likely to cite academic quality as their top priority. Finally, parents who chose homeschooling cited safety as their top factor in the school choice.
Screenshot from: EdChoice, “Black Parents and K-12 Education: A National Polling Report,” March 2023. Poll conducted by Morning Consult.
Learn more
- Access the national polling report.
- View the press release from Ed Choice.
- Read an article about the poll from The 74.
