Great Schools' is Making a Difference
The Great Schools campaign is making inroads into public opinion, according
to a recent poll.
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The poll, commissioned by WEAC, found that public attitudes toward schools
and teachers have improved since Great Schools was implemented.
For instance, 48% of the public believed that public schools would do
a better job preparing students for the real world in 1998, and 26% believed
private schools prepared students for the real world.
By 2002, 57% thought public schools were better at preparing students
for the world, and only 18% thought private schools did a better job.
Public schools also received higher ratings than in previous years in
the areas of teaching students the basics of reading, writing and mathematics,
maintaining classroom discipline, keeping students safe from violence,
and teaching values and a sense of right and wrong.
"When people receive the Great Schools message, it resonates,"
WEAC Public Relations and Communications Director Dick Vander Woude said.
"People agree that every kid deserves a great school; that great
schools provide classrooms that work; that great schools depend on great
teachers and staff; and that great schools benefit everyone. When we couple
that message with the facts and figures about the success of Wisconsin's
public education system, people support investing in public schools."
A second survey found that Wisconsin residents believe that great schools
are the most important component in maintaining or increasing property
values and the quality of a neighborhood (see link in box above).
Posted February 18, 2003