Tennessee lawmakers and school board members have spent a lot of time over the last few months debating whether teachers should be armed, but a new poll finds the voters that elect them are much more concerned about schools than guns.
That poll of 4,000 registered voters from education advocacy organization Tennesseans for Student Success found improving education was the top priority for just over 14 percent of respondents compared to the more than 5 percent who listed protecting gun rights. The poll involved voters across the state and has a margin of error of +/- 1.55 percent.
Improving education was the third most popular “top priority” in the poll behind only immigration reform at more than 18 percent and social issues at 14.7 percent. Protecting gun rights was the least popularly listed “top priority” in the poll.
Those voters also weighed in on other education priorities and reported strong support for both vocational education and accountability.
Less than 3 percent of polled voters support lowering public school academic standards. That’s a noticeable difference from the 64 percent of voters who want standards raised and the more than 22 percent who want them kept the same.
Pollsters also found strong support for assessing both students and schools each year.
More than 80 percent of voters said it’s very or somewhat important for public school students to be tested each year to see if they’re meeting state standards in reading, writing, and math. Less than 16 percent don’t think those assessments are important.
The state’s new School Letter Grades was also popular with voters. Nearly 73 percent expressed at least some support for assigning every school an A-F rating grade compared to just 18 percent who don’t support the school accountability measure.
The poll additionally found very strong support for vocational education and skilled trades.
More than 86 percent of those polled felt there should be more accessibility and encouragement for students to attend vocational school over traditional colleges and universities. Just 9 percent said schools are providing just enough or too much encouragement.
Relatedly more than 93 percent of respondents expressed some level of support for funding skilled trades and vocational education. Less than 5 percent oppose public funding to prepare students for technical careers and skilled jobs.
The Tennessee Firefly is a product of and supported by Tennesseans for Student Success.
