An analysis of one question, which asked residents to grade their public schools, shows the effect of a steady flow of negative news on public opinion in the Milwaukee media market. Yet, the constant stream of negative stories emanating from the Milwaukee news media about Milwaukee public schools seems to have had a spillover effect on the image of the suburban schools. Further evidence of the wide gap between public perception and reality is also evident in the responses to a set of questions that sought to determine what people know about the public schools. The respondents were read a series of factually correct statements about Wisconsin public schools. Then they were asked if it is a strong or weak reason to attend a public school.
Public perception lags far behind reality.