Charts: Public Trusts The Supreme Court More Than Teachers

Yesterday's chart showed Gallup results over time when it came to public education.

Today's shows where public education fits in with other American institutions:  above Congress and the media, below the Supreme Court and organized religion.

Comments

[Marcia]

The chart says "public schools" but the headline states that "Public Trusts the Supreme Court More Than Teachers." Public schools in general constitute a large system, a bureaucracy. Teachers are just a part of that larger organization. Good job just lumping the two together. Whoever wrote the headline really needs to think about the implications of what they're saying as they've just added fuel to the fire in the vilification of teachers.

[Mr. Magoo]

The headline singles out teachers, when the chart names "the public schools." Why not write an article with a headline stating, "The public trusts the military more than cashiers (small business)??? Yet another example of how the media is contributing to the misery of American teachers.

[Jelfrank]

Here's a mind bender for you:

Your study says American public is skeptical of public schools.
Yet, over 70 percent of public school parents are happy with their child's school.

No doubt a significant number of the skeptics in your study don't have children in the public schools. But, much more do. So, why the discrepancy?

Corporate media propaganda against public schools and teacher unions. That's the best explanation. Propaganda like Waiting for Superman and the new one, Won't Back Down are debunked. Just do a Google search.

Source of parent satisfaction with public schools:
http://www.gallup.com/poll/122432/parents-rate-schools-higher-americans-overall.aspx

[NEKSSpedTeacher]

I think the point about the poll distinguishing between "public schools" and "teachers" or "public school teachers" are important distinctions to be made. Similarly, I see the top vote getter (not surprisingly) is the military. In reality, people are voting for the troops (the enlisted men and women who truly serve our country). But would people say the same thing if you said or specified "the whole military" (generals, defense department officials, defense contractors, etc.)? I am sure it would still be higher than most, but perhaps not the top position in the poll.

[Doug]

I can't stand public schools but I love teachers. The problem with public schools is that many are massively underfunded.

If there is anything wrong with public schools it is the result of stupid policies of testing and underfunding by Republicans.

[Mel]

Sloppy headline writing; you really should correct it, especially since polls consistently show teachers to be among the nation's most trusted occupations (see http://shankerblog.org/?p=3541#more-3541). Schools, not so much.

[Sarah]

It’s not all surprising to me that the layman trusts the military most frequently. We see very little of them in our own country, after all. Their presence here isn’t strong enough to really lie to us on some grandiose scale.