PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education

Some findings of the current survey:

• Most Californians today (80%) believe the quality of the state’s K-12 education system is at least somewhat of a problem, with about half (52%) calling it a big problem.
• Forty-four percent of blacks say the quality of education has worsened in the past two years compared to just 28 percent of whites, 21 percent of Latinos, and 20 percent of Asians.
• Most state residents (78%) would prefer to see local, rather than state, decision-making when it comes to allocating school resources’specifically, teachers (34%) and local school districts (31%).

This is the 76th PPIC Statewide Survey and the sixth in a three-year survey series funded by The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation focusing on education, environment, and population issues.