From The Tulsa Beacon
Results from a new public opinion survey taken in Oklahoma in late April indicate that more than 4 of 5 voters - 83 percent - would send their children to private, charter or virtual schools or educate their children in a home school setting. The survey was released today by the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs (OCPA) and the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, along with eight other co-sponsors.
The survey touched on such issues as tax-credit scholarships, public school funding, and school choice. The results of the poll - the first of its kind conducted in the state - indicate divided public opinion on the quality of Oklahoma’s public school system. Forty-one percent rated the public schools as poor or fair, while 40 percent indicated the schools were good or excellent. Nineteen percent were undecided.
According to Paul DiPerna, director of the Friedman Foundation’s School Choice Survey in the State, “Oklahoma’s K-12 system does not fulfill parents’ schooling preferences. If tuition were portable to both public and private schools, it seems as though families and students would sort and match themselves across school types much differently than is allowed in the current system.”
The survey results indicate majority support for tax credits for both businesses and individuals who contribute money to nonprofit organizations which distribute private school scholarships. Fifty-four percent of those polled support tax credits for businesses, while 57 percent support tax credits for individuals. A larger majority, 58 percent, supported legislation creating a tax-credit scholarship system for students in low performing schools.
This past session the Oklahoma legislature failed to pass a bill that would create tax incentives for businesses that donated to private school scholarships. The measure passed the Oklahoma Senate but failed to make it past the Republican controlled House.
The scientifically representative poll of 1,200 likely Oklahoma voters was conducted April 25-27 by Strategic Vision, an Atlanta-based public affairs agency whose polls have been used by Newsweek, Time Magazine, BBC, ABC News, and USA Today among others. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
In addition to the Friedman Foundation and the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, other sponsors of the poll include the Department of Catholic Education-Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Americans for Prosperity-Oklahoma, American Legislative Exchange Council, Black Alliance for Educational Options, Center for Education Reform, Connections Academy, Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options, and the National Catholic Educational Association.
The survey touched on such issues as tax-credit scholarships, public school funding, and school choice. The results of the poll - the first of its kind conducted in the state - indicate divided public opinion on the quality of Oklahoma’s public school system. Forty-one percent rated the public schools as poor or fair, while 40 percent indicated the schools were good or excellent. Nineteen percent were undecided.
According to Paul DiPerna, director of the Friedman Foundation’s School Choice Survey in the State, “Oklahoma’s K-12 system does not fulfill parents’ schooling preferences. If tuition were portable to both public and private schools, it seems as though families and students would sort and match themselves across school types much differently than is allowed in the current system.”
The survey results indicate majority support for tax credits for both businesses and individuals who contribute money to nonprofit organizations which distribute private school scholarships. Fifty-four percent of those polled support tax credits for businesses, while 57 percent support tax credits for individuals. A larger majority, 58 percent, supported legislation creating a tax-credit scholarship system for students in low performing schools.
This past session the Oklahoma legislature failed to pass a bill that would create tax incentives for businesses that donated to private school scholarships. The measure passed the Oklahoma Senate but failed to make it past the Republican controlled House.
The scientifically representative poll of 1,200 likely Oklahoma voters was conducted April 25-27 by Strategic Vision, an Atlanta-based public affairs agency whose polls have been used by Newsweek, Time Magazine, BBC, ABC News, and USA Today among others. It has a margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points.
In addition to the Friedman Foundation and the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, other sponsors of the poll include the Department of Catholic Education-Archdiocese of Oklahoma City, Americans for Prosperity-Oklahoma, American Legislative Exchange Council, Black Alliance for Educational Options, Center for Education Reform, Connections Academy, Hispanic Council for Reform and Educational Options, and the National Catholic Educational Association.
