A new Gallup poll shows overwhelming support for a return to in-person learning among parents of K-12 children.
At the request of teachers’ unions bankrolling their campaigns, Democrats remain opposed to reopening schools, despite claiming to “follow the science.” Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates that children can return to the classroom before teachers are fully vaccinated, with safety protocols in place. Teachers' unions insist that a return to the classroom, a job they are paid to do, is not safe until all teachers are vaccinated, despite CDC guidance indicating the opposite. The White House has not revealed a clear strategy for returning children to traditional learning.
After a year of virtual learning, Gallup found that 79 percent of parents with school-aged children favor reopening schools for traditional learning.
Nearly one year into the pandemic, an estimated one in three K-12 students in the U.S. do not currently have any options for in-person schooling. Many frustrated parents have been vocally pushing for a return to the classroom, citing concerns about the damage to their children's academic progress, psychological health and social development, and Gallup's latest data found 79% of parents of K-12 students in the U.S. favor in-person learning in their communities right now.
Although majorities of parents across major demographic subgroups are supportive of in-school learning for elementary and secondary school students, some are particularly so. Among them are working parents (82%), those living in the Northeast region of the U.S. (90%) and those who identify as Republicans (94%). (Gallup)
Amid pandemic, 79% of parents of K-12 students in the U.S. favor in-person learning in their communities right now. https://t.co/cPPt0ei4aR
— GallupNews (@GallupNews) March 11, 2021