Jennifer King Rice, a leading school finance expert, examined class-size reduction as part of overall school reform efforts. She said policy makers need to consider a number of factors in this debate that will affect outcomes. Fifty percent of fathers and 54 percent of mothers say that being a parent is one of the top two factors they consider when they vote, compared to only 13 percent who said gender, and 6 percent who said race. Furthermore, parents are unified with regard to their political priorities. Education is the top priority for parents, far outweighing tax cuts, health care, and gun control.
Parents also agree on their policy agenda for education.
Fifty-three percent identified hiring more teachers to reduce class size as one of their top two education priorities for the federal government. Only 11 percent identified vouchers for public or private schools as a top education priority for the federal government. Over 80 percent of parents favor federal funds for school construction and repair, regardless of gender, race, political affiliation, and family income. Parents number 35 percent of the adult voting population over age 18, but because they vote more frequently than do non-parents, they comprise 38 percent of likely voters. These survey results indicate that because parents vote as parents, as opposed to their other identifying characteristics, they comprise the greatest voting bloc in America.