Satisfaction With K-12 Education Hits New Low

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Americans' satisfaction with the quality of K-12 education in the U.S. has slipped to 32%, a new low in Gallup's 27-year trend and down 11 percentage points over the past two years. At the same time, dissatisfaction has risen to a record high of 67%.

Satisfaction has averaged 44% since 1999. After peaking at 53% in 2004, it has only been above 50% once, at 51% in 2019.

Overall, 8% of U.S. adults are completely satisfied and 24% somewhat satisfied with the quality of K-12 education, while 36% are somewhat dissatisfied and 31% completely dissatisfied. These findings are from an Aug. 3-24 Walton Family Foundation/Gallup telephone poll.

Currently, 35% of Democrats, 32% of independents and 25% of Republicans are completely or somewhat satisfied with K-12 education. Democrats’ and independents’ satisfaction levels are record lows by three points and one point, respectively. Republicans’ satisfaction was lower only in 2023, during the Biden administration.

Although Democrats have often expressed higher satisfaction than Republicans with K-12 education dating back to 1999, Democrats are largely driving the recent drops in satisfaction. Since 2024, satisfaction among Democrats has fallen by 19 points, including by seven points over the past year, while independents’ satisfaction is down 10 points and Republicans’ is down six points.

A separate Walton Family Foundation/Gallup probability-based online survey, conducted Aug. 3-17, asked respondents to indicate in their own words why they are dissatisfied with the quality of K-12 education. Republicans and independents are most likely to cite what they perceive as a lack of teaching basic skills. Roughly equal shares of dissatisfied Democrats mention a lack of teaching basic skills, lack of funding or resources, and poor quality of education or inferiority compared with other countries.

Schools Rated Worst on Critical Thinking, Among Six Areas

The web survey asked Americans to rate how well K-12 schools are preparing students for college and the world of work, as well as four specific skills such as preparing students to adapt to new technologies, effectively use artificial intelligence, work effectively with others, and think critically and solve problems.

Schools receive their highest marks for preparing students to adapt to new technologies, with 44% rating this area positively (as excellent or good) and 17% rating it as poor, the only measure where poor ratings fall below 20%. Positive ratings of college readiness (32%), effectively using AI tools (30%) and working well with others (28%) are similar among U.S. adults.

Americans give K-12 schools low ratings on readying students for the world of work, with 21% saying schools are doing an excellent or good job and 38% a poor job. Preparing students to think critically ranks last, with just 20% giving schools an excellent or good rating and 47% a poor rating, the only plurality among the six measures rating schools as doing a poor job.

Parents of K-12 students generally offer more positive ratings of how well schools are preparing students across all six areas measured, compared with those who do not have a child in school. However, even among K-12 parents, a majority give an excellent or good rating in only one area: preparing students to adapt to new technologies, at 51%. This is also the highest-rated area among adults who are not K-12 parents, at 41%.

Ratings are lower for schools’ preparation of students in other areas. Among K-12 parents, 38% rate schools positively for preparing students to work effectively with others, 37% for college readiness and 34% for effectively using AI tools. Fewer than three in 10 give positive ratings for preparing students to think critically (29%) and preparing them for the world of work (27%).

The largest gaps between K-12 parents and all other adults are seen in their ratings of schools’ ability to prepare students to work effectively with others and to think critically and solve problems (both 13 points).

Parents of current K-12 students were also asked to rate their child’s school on how well it is doing at adapting its curriculum, scheduling and instructional formats to prepare students for the future, and 68% offer an excellent or good rating.

K-12 Parents Still Satisfied With Child's Education, but Satisfaction Is at Record Low

Parents of students currently in kindergarten through grade 12 are nearly twice as likely to say they are satisfied with the quality of their own child’s education as with the quality of K-12 education in the U.S. (66% vs. 32%, respectively). Their rating of the quality of U.S. education matches the national average and is the lowest on record for K-12 parents. Their 66% satisfaction with their own child’s education is at a new low, edging the previous low from 2013 by one point.

Throughout the trend, K-12 parents have consistently been significantly more satisfied with the quality of their own child’s education than with K-12 education nationally. The high point in satisfaction with their own child’s school was 83% in 1999.

Bottom Line

Americans' satisfaction with K-12 education has fallen to its lowest point in Gallup's 27-year trend. U.S. adults offer largely negative ratings of the job the nation’s schools are doing in preparing students for the future across a range of areas. Critical thinking and problem-solving rank among the most poorly rated areas for schools, while preparation to adapt to new technologies earns the highest rating.

Meanwhile, the persistent gap between parents’ ratings of their own child’s education and of U.S. education overall suggests that Americans' concerns are less about their own child’s school and more about the state of the system nationwide.

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