New York City (NYC) Poll * November 21, 2007 * New York City Voters Say Schoo - Quinnipiac University

Home> Institutes and Centers> Quinnipiac University Polling Institute> New York City (NYC)> Release Detail

November 21, 2007 - New York City Voters Say School Report Cards Are Fair, Quinnipiac University Poll Finds; More Rate Bloomberg Takeover Of Schools A Success

Word format By a 61 - 27 percent margin, New York City voters say the recently issued report cards, grading public schools A to F are fair. Parents with children in public school, who know the grade given to their children's school, say 75 - 21 percent that the grade is fair, according to a Quinnipiac University poll released today.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg's takeover of New York City public schools has been a success, voters say 47 - 25 percent. This compares to a 51 - 27 percent finding in a July 26 poll by the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-uh-pe-ack) University.
Voters approve 44 - 36 percent, with 20 percent undecided, of the job Schools Chancellor Joel Klein is doing. Approval ranges from a 38 - 39 percent split in Queens to 52 - 32 percent in The Bronx.
Only 27 percent of voters are satisfied with New York City public schools, while 55 percent are not satisfied. Voters split 40 - 40 percent on whether they are satisfied with schools in their neighborhood. While low, these are the highest school satisfaction rates ever measured in New York City.
"Put it down as about a B-plus. Is the A to F system of grading public schools fair? More than three out of five New Yorkers agree it is. It's a small sample, but they're the people who know best: parents say more than 3 - 1 that the grade given their children's school is fair," said Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute.
"Two-to-one, New Yorkers are dissatisfied with the quality of public schools. And that's the best grade ever. The mayor's takeover of the schools gets just OK marks."
New York City voters split 46 - 44 percent on whether principals of the highest graded schools should be rewarded.
Voters oppose 57 - 29 percent firing principals of lowest performing schools.
"New Yorkers are almost evenly divided on whether to reward principals whose schools get good grades. But they're a forgiving bunch, opposing 2 - 1 firing principals whose schools don't make the grade," Carroll said.
From November 13 - 18, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,007 New York City registered voters, with a margin of error of +/- 3.1 percentage points.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public opinion surveys in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Florida, Ohio and nationwide as a public service and for research. For more data -- http://www.quinnipiac.edu/x271.xml, or call (203) 582-5201.
3. Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joel Klein is handling his job as New York City Schools Chancellor?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Approve 44% 52% 43% 44% 47% 41% 39% Disapprove 36 34 37 32 31 40 38 DK/NA 20 15 21 24 21 19 23 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Approve 52% 44% 44% 38% 47% 46% 42% Disapprove 32 38 32 39 35 33 38 DK/NA 16 18 24 23 18 21 20
TREND: Do you approve or disapprove of the way Joel Klein is handling his job as New York City Schools Chancellor?
Highest Lowest Approve Approve Nov 21 Aug 29 Jul 26 May 23 Mar 15 Feb 26 Mar 15 2007 2007 2007 2007 2007 2003 2007 Approve 44 39 41 37 33 46 33 Disapprove 36 37 39 39 43 27 43 DK/NA 20 23 20 23 24 28 24
19. Are you generally satisfied with the quality of the public schools in New York City, or are you not satisfied?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Satisfied 27% 38% 26% 22% 27% 29% 25% Not satisfied 55 42 57 55 48 60 62 DK/NA 18 20 16 23 25 11 13 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Satisfied 27% 26% 18% 30% 48% 27% 26% Not satisfied 64 58 53 52 40 55 55 DK/NA 9 16 29 19 12 18 19 HvKidsIn PubSch Satisfied 45% Not satisfied 48 DK/NA 6
TREND: Are you generally satisfied with the quality of the public schools in New York City, or are you not satisfied? * - also 12% on 2/5/04, 3/27/02, 4/20/00, 3/31/97
Highest Lowest Satis Satis Nov 21 Jul 26 Mar 15 Mar 8 Sep 22 Nov 21 Feb 5 2007 2007 2007 2006 2005 2007 2004 * Satisfied 27 25 19 21 21 27 12 Not satisfied 55 63 64 67 66 55 74 DK/NA 18 12 16 12 13 18 13
20. Are you generally satisfied with the quality of public schools in your neighborhood, or are you not satisfied?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Satisfied 40% 49% 40% 37% 46% 31% 38% Not satisfied 40 29 43 36 29 54 45 DK/NA 20 21 17 27 25 15 17 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Satisfied 34% 39% 34% 43% 66% 41% 38% Not satisfied 53 42 36 36 22 39 41 DK/NA 13 19 30 21 12 20 21 HvKidsIn PubSch Satisfied 53% Not satisfied 42 DK/NA 5
TREND: Are you generally satisfied with the quality of the public schools in your neighborhood, or are you not satisfied?
Highest Lowest Satis Satis Nov 21 Jul 26 Mar 15 Mar 8 Feb 5 Mar 31 Feb 5 2007 2007 2007 2006 2004 1997 2004 Satisfied 40 38 34 36 27 41 27 Not satisfied 40 46 47 46 56 40 56 DK/NA 20 16 19 18 17 19 17
21. Do you think Mayor Bloomberg's take-over of the public schools has been a success or failure?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Success 47% 56% 45% 51% 52% 47% 37% Failure 25 18 26 21 20 29 36 DK/NA 27 25 28 27 28 24 27 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Success 50% 44% 47% 47% 56% 50% 45% Failure 26 27 21 27 24 22 28 DK/NA 24 28 32 26 20 27 27 HvKidsIn PubSch Success 50% Failure 34 DK/NA 16
TREND: Do you think Mayor Bloomberg's take-over of the public schools has been a success or failure?
Nov 21 Jul 26 Mar 15 2007 2007 2007 Success 47 51 39 Failure 25 27 34 DK/NA 27 22 27
23. As you may know, New York City public schools have recently been graded by the city and given their own report card with a grading system of A to F. How much have you heard or read about report cards for New York City's public schools - A lot, some, only a little or nothing at all?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp A lot 26% 27% 25% 28% 28% 31% 16% Some 30 27 33 27 31 27 32 Only a little 24 25 24 27 22 22 31 Nothing at all 16 18 16 15 15 17 20 DK/NA 3 4 2 4 4 2 2 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom A lot 29% 27% 24% 22% 40% 23% 29% Some 26 30 34 32 21 33 28 Only a little 27 23 23 25 19 25 24 Nothing at all 16 16 16 17 17 17 16 DK/NA 1 3 3 3 4 2 3 HvKidsIn PubSch A lot 37% Some 32 Only a little 21 Nothing at all 10 DK/NA -
24. In general, do you think that a report card system is a fair or unfair way of grading NYC public schools?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Fair 61% 70% 59% 61% 59% 59% 68% Unfair 27 18 30 26 27 31 23 DK/NA 12 12 11 13 14 10 9 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Fair 70% 61% 58% 58% 57% 65% 58% Unfair 25 29 26 27 30 25 30 DK/NA 5 10 16 14 13 11 13 HvKidsIn PubSch Fair 64% Unfair 33 DK/NA 3
25. Do you know what the results are for the schools in your neighborhood?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Yes 33% 39% 32% 36% 35% 31% 31% No 60 57 60 57 58 62 59 DK/NA 7 5 8 7 7 7 9 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Yes 34% 30% 29% 34% 55% 30% 35% No 63 62 65 55 38 62 57 DK/NA 3 8 6 11 6 7 8 HvKidsIn PubSch Yes 50% No 47 DK/NA 4
26.(If have kids in public schools) Do you know what the results are for the schools that your children attend?
HvKidsIn PubSch Yes 69% No 29 DK/NA 2
27.(If know results Q.26) In general, do you think the grade given to the schools that your children attend is fair or unfair?
Know Results Fair 75% Unfair 21 DK/NA 4
28. Do you think that principals of the highest graded schools should or should not receive a bonus?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Should 46% 53% 44% 51% 42% 46% 51% Should NOT 44 40 46 40 44 47 40 DK/NA 10 8 10 10 13 7 8 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Should 45% 46% 50% 43% 42% 52% 40% Should NOT 48 43 38 48 50 40 48 DK/NA 7 11 12 9 8 7 12 HvKidsIn PubSch Should 46% Should NOT 48 DK/NA 6
29. Do you think that principals of the lowest graded schools should or should not be fired?
Tot Rep Dem Ind Wht Blk Hisp Should 29% 38% 27% 32% 31% 25% 31% Should NOT 57 51 60 51 52 65 57 DK/NA 14 11 13 17 18 10 12 Brnx Kngs Man Qns StIsl Men Wom Should 30% 26% 34% 29% 29% 36% 24% Should NOT 59 60 48 59 59 50 62 DK/NA 11 14 18 12 12 14 14 HvKidsIn PubSch Should 32% Should NOT 62 DK/NA 6