The American people have lost confidence in Democrats’ ability to manage the education of young people as primary season for the 2022 midterms begins March 1 — an issue on which they have historically won.
When asked which political party they trust to do a better job handling “education and schools,” only 44 percent of the respondents to a Washington Post-ABC News poll said they had confidence in Democrats. Their lead over Republicans (41 percent) has narrowed compared to data from past iterations of the question, but what is more interesting is that the trust in “neither” party is at its highest point (ten percent) since 1994.
The poll was conducted from February 20 to 24, 2022, among 1,011 adults with a margin of error of +/- 4 percent.
Americans’ trust in the public education system has diminished greatly, particularly over the course of the coronavirus pandemic, which saw draconian policies, indoctrination schemes, and gender theory turn school board meetings into political powder kegs, and a fast-growing parental rights movement characterized by mass organization, lawsuits, and what many believe to be a bellwether election in Virginia.
Similarly, the number of parents sending their children to private schools or homeschooling them has skyrocketed over the past two years.
Early in the pandemic, 40 percent of American families said they would be more likely to homeschool after the pandemic was over. The same poll showed strong support (64 percent) among Americans for allowing parents to use tax dollars designated for education to pay for the schooling of their choice.
Major public school districts across the country are hemorrhaging teachers, further driving parents toward replacements for failing government schools.
“Many education bureaucrats blame the coronavirus pandemic for their plunging enrollment numbers,” as Breitbart News reported, “but parents are pulling their children out of government schools because of COVID-related mandates and the infiltration of Critical Race Theory (CRT) principles and LGBTQ activist materials in curricula as well.”
A woman holds up a sign during a rally against “Critical Race Theory” (CRT) being taught in schools at the Loudoun County Government Center in Leesburg, Virginia, on June 12, 2021 (ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images).
The issue looms over Democrats, who are already expected to see heavy losses in November.
Breccan F. Thies is a reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow him on Twitter @BreccanFThies.