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Parents in California are weighing in on a survey and reporting their feelings about the intersection of education, their children, and the pandemic.
The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) conducted a statewide survey of grades K-12 from March 30 to April 13, 2022.
For the PPIC, the purpose of the survey was to examine the fact that California's K-12 public schools have returned to more normal conditions as COVID rates declined and mask mandates were lifted while also examining the impacts of those factors.
The PPIC's survey yielded some interesting results in terms of what parents felt about the academic standing of their children.
More than four in ten parents say their child has fallen behind academically during the pandemic with the division split between those who believe their child faces a challenge to catch up academically and those who believe their child is dealing with the pandemic's social-emotional impact.
"Parents in households with higher educational attainment and higher incomes are also much less likely to say their child has fallen behind academically than parents who are not college graduates and have lower incomes," the PPIC reported.
Other key findings from the survey found that a majority of adults and public school parents approved of Governor Newsom's handling of the K-12 public education system. According to the PPIC's survey, the majority believes the public education system is headed in the right direction although partisans are deeply divided.
The survey also considered how parents would grade their schools, where parents would send their children to school if money weren't a factor, and whether the salaries for teachers are sufficient.
The PPIC reported that half of Californians say the level of state funding for their local public schools is not enough.
The findings in the PPIC's report are based on a survey of 1,591 California adult residents.
The PPIC says they presented results for 5 geographic regions, accounting for approximately 90% of the state's population.