On the 2018 EdNext poll, approximately half of the public (51%) rates their local public schools with a grade of A or B, consistent with the last three years of polling. However, the public holds schools in lower esteem than the local police force or local post office, which receive a grade of A or B from 69% and 68% of the public, respectively. African Americans view both the public schools and the police force in their local communities more negatively than do other racial and ethnic groups: 39% of African Americans think the public schools in their local communities merit an A or a B, and 43% give these grades to their local police forces. To learn more about this finding and others from 2018, read the full poll essay here. Two interactive graphics are also available that explore the 2018 findings as well as trends in opinion over time.

— Education Next