American voters are sending a loud and unmistakable message: the U.S. public education system is failing, and they’ve had enough. A new poll, conducted by a firm closely associated with Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns, reveals that 75 percent of voters rate the education system as fair or poor. Unsurprisingly, most respondents believe that parents—not bureaucrats or teachers’ unions—should hold the reins when it comes to their children’s education. For a nation weary of top-down mandates, this signals a growing appetite for school choice and parental empowerment.
The survey underscores just how much support exists for giving parents control over their children’s educational paths. A striking 74 percent of voters voiced support for school choice, endorsing the idea that parents should have the option to send their kids to public, private, or trade schools. An even larger majority—81 percent—backed the notion of prioritizing students’ needs by empowering parents. Perhaps most telling, 65 percent of respondents indicated that parents, rather than teachers’ unions, should have greater influence in shaping education policy. It’s a sentiment that aligns seamlessly with the Trump administration’s education agenda, which emphasizes dismantling the monopoly of union-driven policies.
Central to the debate is the Republican-led Education Choice for Children Act (ECCA), a bill that incentivizes donations to scholarship-granting organizations, giving parents the financial flexibility to choose the best educational fit for their kids. The poll found that 65 percent of voters support the ECCA, with many saying they’d be twice as likely to back lawmakers who champion the legislation. This initiative has become a rallying cry for conservatives pushing for broader school choice reforms, positioning the bill as a critical step toward fixing a system many see as broken.
Hispanic voters stood out as some of the most vocal supporters of school choice, with 78 percent favoring the ability to choose schools and 72 percent backing the ECCA. Additionally, a whopping 87 percent agreed that parents should be empowered to meet their children’s individual needs. This level of enthusiasm highlights how school choice is resonating across demographic lines, transcending political and cultural differences to unify families in their quest for better educational opportunities. It’s a testament to the growing frustration with a system more focused on preserving bureaucracy than serving students.
Adding further weight to the conversation, a separate survey conducted by Parents Defending Education revealed that 77 percent of parents support reducing the federal Department of Education’s power, favoring a return to state-level control. This aligns with Donald Trump’s bold campaign pledge to abolish the department altogether—a proposal once considered radical but increasingly viewed as practical by his supporters. For conservatives, the writing is on the wall: Americans want education reform that puts families and students first. With such overwhelming public support, the ball is now in lawmakers’ court to deliver on this demand for change and finally put an end to the inefficiencies of the current system.
