Majority in statewide survey says public schools do ‘good’ job

While confidence in California schools is up, residents say public education needs more money and taxpayers should pony up and pay, according to a statewide survey released Wednesday.

The poll, conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California, offered an optimistic picture of the state’s public schools, with 61 percent of those surveyed saying their local schools were doing an “excellent” or “good job” preparing students for college.

“There is a greater sense of satisfaction with the local schools than we have seen in previous surveys, and in particular fewer people saying that quality of education in K-12 schools is a big problem,” said Mark Baldassare, president and chief executive of the institute.

A solid majority of those surveyed supported ballot measures to boost funding for schools and school construction.

Yet most state residents — and in particular African Americans — feel a teacher shortage is a “big problem,” with the greatest concern focused on low-income schools.

Nearly 80 percent of African American adults polled said they were “very concerned” that schools in lower-income areas were more affected by a teacher shortage than wealthier areas.