Left, Right, And Center: Voters Want Innovation In Public Education

Forbes

8 hours ago

A broad majority of Americans agree that the U.S. public education system is falling short and they ... More want the federal government to invest in education research and development as a solution.
In an era when bipartisan agreement is hard to come by, a new national poll reveals a surprising area of unity: education.
Despite deep political divisions, a broad majority of Americans agree that the U.S. public education system is falling short in preparing children for the future, and they believe the federal government should help fix it by investing in education research and development (R&D).
According to a new survey of 1,600 voters conducted by the Alliance for Learning Innovation, which I lead as Executive Director, 79% of parents with children in school want the federal government to increase its investment in education R&D. And when it comes to voters, not just parents, 75% of them agree that a federal investment in education R&D is important.
This near-universal consensus emerges just as the Trump administration signals interest in building a new and improved federal education R&D strategy.
Even without sifting through the latest report on declining student achievement, parents across the country feel that something is off. The poll findings confirm this intuition. A large majority – more than 70% of both general voters and K-12 parents – believe the U.S. public education system needs to do 'a little' or 'a lot' better, particularly when it comes to preparing students for future jobs.
That corroborates another poll, by Gallup in 2023, which found that 64% of Americans were dissatisfied with the quality of K-12 education. At the time, that was the lowest approval rating since Gallup began tracking this question in 1999.
Whether the public perception of K-12 education is being driven by post-pandemic learning loss, political debates, or concerns about college and career readiness, parents are connecting the dots: The current system is not working for all kids. Experts have long asserted that educational shortcomings put America's security and global competitiveness at risk.
Parents Favor Federal Help In Finding Solutions
It was heartening to see in these new poll results that parents understand that solutions exist. Specifically, they recognize the path toward better public schools includes a strong federal role in innovation, research, and developing new learning tools.
Education R&D can be the engine that helps schools solve complex challenges with evidence-based approaches. Whether it's improving outcomes for students with learning disabilities, boosting math and science achievement, or strengthening job readiness, voters want educators and schools to innovate. And they know schools can't do it alone. That's why significant majorities – regardless of party – said a federal investment in education R&D is important for discovering new ideas and approaches to learning and teaching.
Perhaps the best example of this is the results of the National Reading Panel, which Congress convened. Comprised of more than 20 experts in reading and learning, the panel identified phonics-based instruction as a key component of an effective reading program. In 2013, Mississippi applied these findings, requiring intensive interventions, universal screenings, and a new focus on phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension.
The results were dramatic: Mississippi rose from 49th to 21st in national reading rankings, transforming literacy outcomes for an entire generation of students.
This is the kind of education R&D effort that not only makes a real and lasting difference for children, but it's also one that parents appreciate and expect from their federal government.
In our recent poll, 77% of K-12 parents and 73% of voters agreed that a nonpartisan federal agency should play a key role in providing trusted, research-backed guidance to local education leaders, like they did in Mississippi.
That's because the goal isn't top-down control. Rather, it's about creating a federal-state partnership that empowers local superintendents, principals, and teachers by providing them with the best information possible so they can make informed decisions that work in their communities.
A Bipartisan Mandate
In today's polarized political climate, it's remarkable to find an education issue that bridges party lines like we're seeing with the public support for education R&D. While headlines often focus on partisan flashpoints, like the dismantling of the Department of Education, ALI's poll shows incredible bipartisan agreement on the need for federal investment in education R&D.
Among GOP-leaning K-12 parents, 73% support continuing federal education R&D. That number rises to 92% among Democratic parents. Even among right-leaning voters more broadly, 61% want to see federal dollars continue to support education research and innovation.
This is not just a niche concern–it's a shared priority among those on both sides of the political aisle, grounded in common sense and pragmatism. Some might call it a mandate.
A Blueprint For Action
At ALI, we believe the time is now to turn this bipartisan consensus into action. We worked with more than 150 state leaders, education advocates, and policy advisors to create a blueprint for a reimagined federal role in research and development.
This group believes that the federal government is uniquely positioned to fund comprehensive education R&D efforts at scale, and that its investments should focus on longitudinal research, evaluating the effectiveness of the research it funds, and supporting the development of evidence-based educational tools. ​
Additionally, any new federal R&D efforts must better serve the needs of state education leaders and help them address their specific challenges, which can vary greatly. This is an important shift, as too often, the education research supported by the federal government was disconnected from the needs of teachers and local communities.
Finally, the federal government must continue to collect and analyze meaningful data to inform R&D efforts and improve educational outcomes. After all, data is the backbone of any R&D effort, from ideation of a program to assessing its effectiveness. Innovation without data is just guesswork.
Let's Do This
When it comes to their children's schools, parents want solutions, not soundbites, and they want evidence, not conjecture. Most importantly, they want the federal government to play a meaningful role in helping schools succeed.
Lawmakers and education leaders should listen and act. They have the public's support on this. It's time to put education R&D where it belongs: at the heart of America's strategy to prepare every child for the future.
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