Common Core

Report: California Voters Back Common Core

• By Joshua Bolkan
• 04/20/15

A majority of voters, 67 percent, polled in California support the Common Core State Standards, according to a new poll from Children Now. Respondents also showed greater support for many provisions of the standards when asked directly about them without mentioning the Common Core.

Among respondents with children currently in school, the rate of approval was the same as the voting population generally — 67 percent. Among those who work in education, 82 percent said they supported the Common Core, as did 82 percent of Latino respondents, 77 percent of African American respondents and 75 percent of Asian respondents.

Other findings of the survey include:

• 93 percent of respondents said it is important that schools prepare students for the workforce by teaching them critical thinking and problem-solving skills, with 67 percent saying it was "extremely important";
• 90 percent of respondents said student skills in math, science, reading and writing should be measured, with 57 percent saying it is "very important";
• 80 percent of those surveyed said that aligning high school education with college prep is important; and
• 85 percent said it is important to allow teachers and schools to determine what works best in their classrooms.

"We weren't surprised to find such widespread support for Common Core among Californians," said Ted Lempert, president of Children Now, in a prepared statement. "Common Core is transforming our education system to help ensure student success and close the achievement gap. Thanks to Common Core, our schools will be focusing on preparing all students with the skills they need to become 21st -century learners, be better able to tackle the challenges and seize opportunities they'll face in college, career and life."