When asked to choose the best way of improving education, nearly three-quarters said we should reform the public schools rather than go with a different system. The numbers were approximately the same when people were offered vouchers as the alternative. In short, Americans certainly have not given up on public education. They greatly prefer it to vouchers, and they consider improving the current public school system something that can and should be done. Despite what the pundits say, the public knows that schools need money to reach higher standards, and it is willing to foot the bill.
Few people think that administrators, teachers, or teacher unions are the big culprits.
The major impediments in their view are officials' unwillingness to improve school funding and parents who aren't involved in supporting their children's education. Another finding should seriously concern voucher advocates, most of whom are opposed to making voucher schools publicly accountable. In fact, studies show that most private and religious schools would be unwilling to accept money on the terms the public thinks should be required of them. And understandably so. They don't want state interference in any of that.