Wake County Schools Survey

Posted on September 8, 2009 by Civitas Staff in Poll Results

  1. If you had to assign a letter grade to Wake County public schools based on their performance, what grade would you give them, with A being the highest grade and F being the lowest?
    A 10%
    B 36%
    C 33%
    D 11%
    F 5%
    Not Sure 4%
  2. What do you think the Wake County Public School System does well?
    Has good teachers/ Like the staff/ Quality Teachers 14%
    Education/ Educating children 14%
    Variety of classes/ Curriculum/ Special needs classes 12%
    Diversity/ Maintaining diversity 8%
    Everything/ Doing a good job (general) 7%
    Dealing with growth/ Population/ Good class sizes 5%
    Communicating with parents 4%
    Prepares students for college/ Future 4%
    High academic standards/ Academic achievements 3%
    Buses/ Transportation 2%
    Year round school 2%
    Advanced Placement/ AP classes/ Higher level classes 2%
    Provides opportunities 1%
    Other 2%
    Nothing 20%
    Not Sure/Refused 21%
  3. What do you think the Wake County Public School System does poorly?
    Assigning students to school/ Not able to attend local school/ Reassigning 20%
    Wasteful spending/ Use of resources/ Managing finances 16%
    Education/ Not educating well/ Low quality of education 14%
    Buses/ Transportation/ Picking up small amount of students 14%
    Poor administration/ Principals/ Too many administration positions/ poor planning 13%
    Poor communications/ Not informing parents 10%
    Overcrowding/ Too many students in classrooms 6%
    Year round schooling/ Different schedules/ Changes year to year 5%
    Everything/ Doing a bad job (general) 3%
    Not paying teachers enough/ Paying administration too much 3%
    Bad teachers/ Poor teaching 3%
    Lacking discipline 2%
    Other 2%
    Nothing/Good Job 5%
    Not Sure/Refused 12%
  4. Please tell me which statement comes closer to your opinion…
    The school system should be able to assign students to year round school even if the parents disagree. 28%
    Parents should be able to choose to send their child to either a year-round or traditional calendar school. 68%
    Not Sure/Refused 4%
  5. Wake County is currently the 18th largest school system in the nation. Based on that fact, please tell me which opinion comes closer to your own…
    (Some/other) people say that the district is too large and should be split up to make it more responsive to local communities. 49%
    (Other/some) people say that the size is an advantage that allows the county to provide more services to individual schools and students. 38%
    Not sure/Refused 13%
  6. Currently, Wake County Schools assigns students to schools based on a need to achieve “socio-economic” diversity in the schools. Based on that fact, please tell me which opinion comes closer to your own…
    (Some/other) people say this policy is unfair to parents and students who are not allowed to go to the school closest to their home. 70%
    (Other/some) people say this policy is necessary to achieve a balanced school with a diverse student population. 24%
    Not Sure/Refused 6%
  7. Do you support or oppose the school board’s current policy of assigning students to schools based on achieving diversity, instead of sending students to the school closest to their home?
    Strongly Support 14%
    Somewhat Support 11%
    Somewhat Oppose 18%
    Strongly Oppose 51%
    Not Sure/Refused 6%
  8. If you knew that despite diversity reassignment and busing in Wake County, the achievement gap between minority and white students has continued to grow, would you be more likely or less likely to support assigning students to schools to achieve diversity?
    Much More Likely 11%
    Somewhat More Likely 11%
    Somewhat Less Likely 15%
    Much Less Likely 44%
    No difference 12%
    Not Sure/Refused 7%
  9. Hypothetically, would you rather send your child to a school that is closest to your home or one that is further away but would be more economically diverse?
    Strongly, Close to home 66%
    Somewhat, Close to home 13%
    Somewhat, Economically diverse 6%
    Strongly, Economically diverse 9%
    Not sure/Refused 6%
  10. Hypothetically, would you rather send your child to a school that is closest to your home or one that is further away but would be more ethnically or racially diverse?
    Strongly, Close to Home 66%
    Somewhat, Close to Home 12%
    Somewhat, Ethnically Diverse 7%
    Strongly, Ethnically Diverse 10%
    Not Sure/Refused 5%
  11. It is important to achieve diversity in our public schools as it teaches children about different cultures.
    Strongly Agree 32%
    Somewhat Agree 32%
    Somewhat Disagree 16%
    Strongly Disagree 17%
    Not Sure/Refused 3%
  12. It is important for children to go to the school closest to their home as it allows for the most parental involvement.
    Strongly Agree 64%
    Somewhat Agree 19%
    Somewhat Disagree 10%
    Strongly Disagree 5%
    Not Sure/Refused 1%
  13. It is important to achieve diversity in our public schools as it teaches children about different cultures.
    Strongly Agree 32%
    Somewhat Agree 32%
    Somewhat Disagree 16%
    Strongly Disagree 17%
    Not Sure/Refused 3%
  14. Wake County schools do a good job in preparing students for college.
    Strongly Agree 32%
    Somewhat Agree 38%
    Somewhat Disagree 9%
    Strongly Disagree 10%
    Not Sure/Refused 11%
  15. Wake County schools do a good job in preparing students to enter the workforce.
    Strongly Agree 19%
    Somewhat Agree 38%
    Somewhat Disagree 14%
    Strongly Disagree 13%
    Not Sure/Refused 15%
  16. The Wake County school board is a good steward of taxpayer money and spends tax dollars effectively.
    Strongly Agree 11%
    Somewhat Agree 24%
    Somewhat Disagree 22%
    Strongly Disagree 35%
    Not Sure/Refused 8%
  17. It is important to achieve diversity in our public schools as it teaches children about different cultures.
    Strongly Agree 32%
    Somewhat Agree 32%
    Somewhat Disagree 16%
    Strongly Disagree 17%
    Not Sure/Refused 3%
  18. Wake County schools do a good job in preparing students to enter the workforce.
    Support 1
    Oppose 69%
    Not sure 9%
  19. As part of her plan, Gov. Perdue has proposed an emergency 1-cent increase in the state sales tax bringing it to 7.75%. Do you support or oppose this proposal?
    Support 30%
    Oppose 66%
    Not sure 4%
  20. Gov. Perdue says that her emergency 1-cent sales tax increase will only be temporary and will expire next fall. Do you in fact believe it will expire or will it end up being made a permanent sales tax increase?
    Expire 13%
    Become permanent 77%
    Not sure 9%
  21. In another part of her plan Gov. Perdue proposed charging sales tax on services like auto repairs, home repairs and warranties on products. Do you support this proposal?
    Support 13%
    Oppose 77%
    Not sure 9%
  22. Do you believe Gov. Perdue and the state legislature have done all they can to remove wasteful spending from the state budget in order to prevent the need for a tax increase?
    Yes 11%
    No 79%
    Not sure 10%
  23. NC Legislators are supposed to pass a state budget by July 1st. Do you think legislators should stop getting paid if they miss this deadline until they pass a budget?
    Yes 65%
    No 27%
    Not sure 8%
  24. Do you think Wake County funding for Wake public schools should increase decrease or stay the same?
    Increase 44%
    Decrease 15%
    Stay the Same 35%
    Not Sure/Refused 5%
  25. Are you willing to pay higher property taxes to increase county funding?
    Yes 77%
    No 21%
    Not sure 2%
  26. Given your knowledge of Medicaid and other government sponsored health care programs, would you entrust your health or your family’s health to a government run health insurance plan over a private option?
    Yes 29%
    No 57%
    Not sure 14%
  27. How much in total county, state and federal government spending do you think is spent per student in Wake County?
    Under $5,000 17%
    $5,000-$8,000 29%
    $8,000-$10,000 17%
    $10,000-$13,000 10%
    $13,000-$15,000 2%
    $15,000+ 2%
    Not Sure/Refused 23%
  28. If you knew that total government spending per student was in excess of $12,000 per year should it increase, decrease or stay the same?
    Increase 21%
    Decrease 30%
    Stay the Same 35%
    Not Sure/Refused 14%
  29. Do you think pay for teachers in Wake County should increase, decrease or stay the same?
    Increase 64%
    Decrease 3%
    Stay the same 26%
    Not Sure/Refused 7%
  30. Would you be willing to pay higher property taxes in order to give teachers a pay increase?
    Yes 70%
    No 26%
    Not Sure/Refused 3%
  31. How much do you think the average teacher in Wake County earns per year?
    Less than $30,000 8%
    $30,000-$40,000 50%
    $40,000-$50,000 25%
    $50,000-$60,000 6%
    $60,000-$70,000 1%
    $70,000-$80,000 0%
    $80,000+ 1%
    Not sure/Refused 10%
  32. If you knew the avg. compensation for a teacher in Wake County was about 53 thousand dollars per year do you think it should increase, decrease or remain the same?
    Increase 38%
    Decrease 8%
    Stay the same 49%
    Not Sure/Refused 5%
  33. Would you be more likely or less likely to support the Wake County Public School system if you knew that 115 non-teaching employees of the Wake County school system made over $100,000 a year?
    Much More Likely 3%
    Somewhat More Likely 8%
    Somewhat Less Likely 23%
    Much Less Likely 46%
    No Difference 15%
    Not sure/Refused 6%
  34. Would you be more likely or less likely to support the Wake County Public School system if you knew that the Wake County public schools superintendent’s salary was $273,000 a year plus benefits?
    Much More Likely 5%
    Somewhat More Likely 11%
    Somewhat Less Likely 19%
    Much Less Likely 48%
    No Difference 14%
    Not sure/Refused 3%
  35. Regardless of if you have children and if money were not an issue; would you choose to send your child to a private, religious or home-school instead of Wake County Public Schools?
    Private School, Non-Religious 20%
    Private School, Religious 24%
    Home School 5%
    Would send to Wake County Public School 45%
    Other 1%
    Not sure/Refused 1%
  36. Has the federal legislation known as the No Child Left Behind been good or bad for public schools?
    Good 19%
    Bad 59%
    Not Sure/Refused 23%
  37. Would you say your age range is…
    30-40 12%
    41-55 36%
    56-65 23%
    66+ 27%
    Not sure/refused 3%
  38. If you were to label yourself, would you say you are a liberal, a moderate, or a conservative in your political beliefs?
    Very Liberal 7%
    Somewhat Liberal 10%
    Moderate 38%
    Somewhat Conservative 20%
    Very Conservative 22%
    Not sure/refused 4%
  39. Regardless of how you are registered, do you consider yourself to be more…
    Republican 34%
    Something Else/Undeclared/Independent 31%
    Democrat 31%
    Not sure/Refused 4%
  40. Which category best describes your race or ethnicity?
    African-American or Black 7%
    White or Caucasian 87%
    Hispanic or Latino 1%
    Native American 1%
    Not sure/refused 3%
  41. Do you have children or grandchildren in a Wake County Public School?
    Yes 49%
    No 50%
    Not sure/Refused 1%
  42. Did you personally attend a Wake County Public School?
    Yes 18%
    No 81%
    Not sure/Refused 1%
  43. Do you or any members of your family work for the Wake County Schools?
    Yes 20%
    No 79%
    Not sure/Refused 1%
  44. Gender
    Male 48%
    Female 52%
  45. Party Registration
    Republican 38%
    Independent/Unaffiliated/Other 19%
    Democrat 43%
This article was posted in Poll Results by Civitas Staff on September 8, 2009 at 1:57 PM.

© 2011 The Civitas Institute. Visit us on the web at www.nccivitas.org.
This article can be found at http://www.nccivitas.org/2009/wake-county-schools-survey/

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