Reports produced by the Heritage Foundation found there is a huge disconnect between official ratings and parental priorities. Matthew Ladner of the Heritage Foundation says there has been virtually little to show for the huge amounts of spending on education.
The reports show how parents use and perceive the A-F school rating systems in 15 states. Researchers conducted focus groups with 44 parents across Arizona, North Carolina, and Texas—three states with established letter-grade accountability systems.
“Over the last 30 years, what we've a seen is a very large increase in inflation adjusted spending per pupil but very little in the way of academic improvement over time,” Ladner said.
Only 23% of parents consulted state report cards when looking for information about their child’s school, according to a national survey referenced in the study. Instead, parents turned to school visits, independent rating websites, friends, neighbors, and social media—all sources they trusted more than official state accountability reports, The Daily Signal reports.
Not unexpectedly, Ladner says teachers' unions are opposing the findings because they feel threatened by them.
“What we see is that teachers are actually going out and starting their own schools and getting to be in charge. A lot of them are much happier when they can get out of these sorts of hopelessly bureaucratized and political systems."
For parents seeking the best education opportunities for their children, knowledge is power.
"When families have real options and honest information, they create bottom-up accountability that no amount of political maneuvering can subvert."
