The 74 Million – Carolyn Phenicie
“Most swing-state voters say improving K-12 public education is a critical issue in the 2016 presidential election — ranking it above immigration and Obamacare — but few say they are hearing about it, according to a new poll. The poll is the first examination of K-12 education in the context of the presidential race. Of the voters surveyed, 68 percent said improving public education should be a priority in the election, but only 36 percent have heard candidates discuss it. The poll studied 1,200 voters in Florida, Ohio, Virginia, Iowa, New Hampshire, Colorado, Nevada, and North Carolina. Dan Fuller, vice president of legislative relations at Communities in Schools, which commissioned the poll, said it shows an opening, a chance for leadership on K-12 education. “In the crowded field where people are looking to distinguish themselves,” Fuller said, “this could be a great opportunity, and a great way to speak to the voters.” Voters ranked the issue a higher priority than others that have been hot-button topics in the campaign so far: immigration, the Affordable Care Act, taxes, Social Security and Medicare, and the cost of higher education. Yet voters reported hearing more discussion on all of those issues than they did on K-12 education.”(more)