SCHOOL VOUCHERS GET LOW GRADES
Little Support for Vouchers from African-Americans, Hispanics & Whites School Funding, Not Religion, Is the Issue

White Plains, NY ~ March 14, 2002 - With the United States Supreme Court weighing the constitutionality of school voucher programs, a newly released analysis of a national survey reveals widespread opposition among all groups, with a majority believing it will result in reduced funding for public schools.

The telephone survey of 1,046 respondents was sponsored by Teachers’ Insurance Plan, an insurance program tailored exclusively for educators and their families. Nearly two-thirds of those surveyed (65%) said they do not support the creation of a national school voucher program to give money to parents to enable their children to attend private schools. The only category of adults polled who solidly support a voucher program are parents whose children already attend a private school (66%).

An analysis of the results showed near unanimity among all demographics, with voucher support only marginally higher among African-Americans. Vouchers were favored by 39% of African-Americans, 34% of whites and 34% of Hispanics in the survey. 61% of African-Americans would rather see more funding go to public schools than into a voucher program, as compared to 57% of whites and 59% of Hispanics. The races were also statistically even in opposing federal tax credits for private school use, with 35% of African-Americans, 36% of whites and 34% of Hispanics favoring tax credits as an alternative to vouchers.

Although the Supreme Court will clearly be weighing the issue with an eye on the Establishment Clause of the Constitution that delineates the separation of church and state, for most Americans polled opposition to vouchers seemed not to be a matter of religion. When asked if voucher programs did exist, should they be limited to secular private schools, only 21% of African-Americans, 17% of whites and 15% of Hispanics agreed that religious schools should be ineligible to accept vouchers.

The only disagreement between the races was on the question of whether a voucher program would reduce the amount of money going to their local public schools. On that point 46% of African-Americans believed there would be a reduction in school funding, while 57% of white and 60% of Hispanics thought public schools would suffer. Overall, only 5% of those polled ranked school vouchers as their top educational priority, with 1% of African-Americans, 6% of whites and 6% of Hispanics ranking it first. Smaller class size, increased teacher pay, tutors, computers in classrooms and school repairs, all out polled vouchers in the ranking.

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About Teachers’ Insurance Plan: Teachers’ Insurance Plan™ was formed in 1992 to provide low cost auto insurance exclusively to educators and their families. Teachers’ sponsors national surveys and research on a variety of issues related to teachers and education. Teachers’ Insurance Plan is a program of the Response Insurance companies. Additional information about Teachers’ Insurance Plan can be obtained at www.teachers.com.

Source: The Teachers’ Insurance Plan National Education Survey was sponsored by Teachers’ Insurance Plan, developed by Leflein Associates and conducted by Opinion Research Corp. 1,046 adults were polled by telephone between May 3-6, 2001. There is a margin of error of + or - 3%. The details of this new analysis are based on that survey.

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