I posted this, with appropriate links, over at Knippenblog.

An article in today's AJC describes a poll showing significant popular support for school choice in Georgia. Here are some findings taken from the executive summary:

"Georgians strongly support school vouchers, both in general and in the context of special education. When asked about a bill currently being debated by the Georgia legislature that would provide school vouchers to special education students, 59 percent said they favored this policy, while only 20 percent were unfavorable. Questions about vouchers in general produced very similar results: 58 percent of Georgians favor school vouchers, while just 22 percent were unfavorable.

"Georgians believe that school choice improves K-12 education. A majority of Georgians (53 percent versus 29 percent) agree that school vouchers improve K-12 education by allowing parents the freedom to choose the best education for their child. In addition, when asked what appeals to them the most about school choice and vouchers, 38 percent cited parents choosing the best school for their children and 21 percent cited better education and curriculum.

"A majority of all racial groups support the idea that school vouchers should be available to all children regardless of income. Support for this concept is highest among whites (73 percent), but the concept finds strong support among Asians (61 percent), Hispanics (59 percent) and African-Americans (51 percent)."

The pollsters identified likely voters and queried only them. The partisan breakdown (47-40 R-D) and the racial mix of the population (65% white, 27% African-American) strike me as appropriate for Georgia.

The bottom line: support for school choice is a political winner in Georgia. The argument that sells best for proponents is parental control; for opponents, it's that school choice takes money away from public schools in poor areas. Of course, the latter isn't exactly true: vouchers routinely offer less money than would go to a public school, leaving potentially more money per pupil for those who remain in the public schools. But opponents wouldn't be deterred by such nuances.

Technorati Tags: Georgia Politics