SURPRISE! Two polling organizations ask nuanced questions about the same general matter and get different results.
A couple of weeks ago while flipping through a copy of the Des Moines Redstar Register (DMR) laying around at a coffee shop we noticed an article stating “Majority oppose using public funds for private school ” ( a loaded headline as we will explain). The story was a report on a DMR commissioned poll. We don’t think we are out on a limb here to suggest the DMR has never been a fan of school vouchers.
We were interested because we favor that education funding should follow the student ~~ a voucher system ~~ such that the parents pick the educational resource be it a private, public, or charter school, or the homeschooling parent, and the funds are made available accordingly.
We also had at about the same time noticed an article in the The Democrat Davenport Catholic Messenger (DCM) Majority of Iowans Support School Choice. It was about a poll commissioned by The Iowa Alliance for Choice in Education (Iowa ACE), a pro educational savings account (ESA) lobbying group. The way their favored system is structured it is akin to an educational voucher in that the account is funded in part with state funds.
So who ya going to believe?
Here is the DMR money question:
The Iowa legislature may consider changes to Iowa law that would help parents of school-age children pay costs for non-public schools or homeschooling for grades K through 12. The money would come from money normally allocated to public schools. Do you favor or oppose this change? The results: 35% Favor 58% oppose (7% not sure).
The “normally allocated” we think is misleading because the money allocated to schools by the state is per head. If the student does not go to a public school, reducing enrollment in that public school district, the public school district surely does not get the money for the imaginary student (although there may be some imputed financing)? However the public schools’ share of property taxes are not based on “per head” and so are not reduced with such legislation although with less students and good management they should be reduced.
Here is the Iowa ACE money question:
A school choice program or policy gives parents the right to use the tax dollars associated with their child’s education to spend on the learning environment and education that best serve their needs. Generally speaking, would you say you strongly support, somewhat support, somewhat oppose or strongly oppose school choice? Please select one response only. The results: 73 % support, 23% oppose
We suspect using the “school choice ” phrase provides a “high polling” concept that skews the results somewhat but their question does provide the important concept missing from the DMR, by referring to “the tax dollars associated with their child’s education” because that is what this is about — who should decide where that money goes, the Iowa public school teachers lobby or parents of Iowa”s school children.
R Mall
Related reading at Caffeinated Thoughts.
