Voters trust education professionals over politicians to set policy, according to a new Siena College poll.
As Gov. Andrew Cuomo considers taking a greater role in developing education policy, 38 percent of voters say they most trust the state Education Department to set policy, while 23 percent say they most trust the Board of Regents. Eighteen percent put their trust in Cuomo, and just 8 percent trust the Legislature with setting the education agenda.
Cuomo is gearing up for what is likely to be a bloody fight also involving the Legislature and public school teachers over the direction of the state's system. It follows another bruising education battle over the implementation of the Common Core standards.
18%.
Not exactly a winning endorsement for Governor Cuomo's taking the reins of education policy.
And yet that is in effect what he is set to do in just a few hours with his State of the State/budget speech.
He's going to have some "harsh words" for teachers and schools, reiterate as he said yesterday that the public school system is the "single greatest failure of the state" and push proposals to "break" the system.
While the Legislature has to sign off on these proposals, he can push much of what he wants through the budget process and force much of it through.
And yet, only 18% trust him to set education policy.
Remember too that this is a governor who won re-election with the fewest votes of any governor seeking re-election since FDR in 1930.
Nonetheless, he's going to look to push through mandate-type reform that essentially destroys the public school system and the teaching profession.
18% trust him to set policy.
Fewest votes of governor seeking re-election since FDR in 1930.
But pushing a mandate-type reform to blow up the school system.
"Fewest votes of governor seeking re-election since FDR in 1930.
ReplyDeleteBut a mandate-type reform to blow up the school system."
And receiving cover from a duplicitous UFT/AFT/NYSUT leadership.
Cuomo doesn't worry about the Sienna polls especially since he has 100% of the hedge funds backers in his right pocket, and 100% of the charter school proponents in his left pocket. Any other poll is meaningless to him. He's saying what Alfred B Neuman would tell people, "What me - Worry?!"
ReplyDeleteUnfortunately, what I think the Siena poll really shows is that the average New Yorker has no idea how education policy is made in the State. People oppose the Common Core by 15% but trust the very people who imposed it haplessly on their children the last three years--NYSED and the Regents--by 61% to Cuomo's 18% to set education policy.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting that Siena didn't include "local Board of Education" as a choice because I would bet that folks might have picked that one if they'd had the chance. It's very hard for me to imagine that "John Doe" has a clear understanding for what the Regents and NYSED do, though the last year's ruckus over Common Core may have been a magnificent opportunity for a lot of parents to learn a lot more about how education policy actually is made in the state.