Font size:
DETROIT — A recent poll showed strong support for allowing parents of children who attend failing schools to send them to better schools in other districts, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The Michigan Catholic Conference commissioned the poll, which surveyed 600 likely voters between Oct. 6 and Oct. 9, the Free Press reported.
Eighty-two percent of those polled said that parents should have the right to move their children into better-performing schools, and 62 percent said that private school students should be able to dual enroll in college without having to first enroll in a public school and pass a qualifying test, according to the Free Press.
The state Legislature currently is considering a package of education bills that would broaden dual enrollment options for public and private students, allow parents to vote to convert a failing public school to a charter school and lift the cap on the number of charter schools that universities can authorize, among other reforms, the Free Press reported.
In a news release, Paul A. Long, president and CEO of Michigan Catholic Conference, said, “Michigan families have grown lethargic of the status quo and want the ability to choose where and how their children receive the best education possible,” the Free Press reported.
The poll had a margin of error of 4 percentage points, according to the Free Press.
SOURCE:
Detroit Free Press, “Poll: Michiganders support expanding education options,” Oct. 31, 2011
FURTHER READING:
Mackinac Center for Public Policy, “Time to Take School Choice in Michigan to the Next Level,” Aug. 8, 2011
The Mackinac Center for Public Policy is a nonprofit research and educational institute that advances the principles of free markets and limited government. Through our research and education programs, we challenge government overreach and advocate for a free-market approach to public policy that frees people to realize their potential and dreams.
Please consider contributing to our work to advance a freer and more prosperous state.
