When Donald Trump selected an advocate for school choice, Betsy DeVos, to be secretary of education, he was acknowledging what many parents have noticed for some time: District-run public schools aren’t educating students well.

So writes Paul Peterson in an opinion piece in this morning’s Wall Street Journal. Peterson goes on to review the findings of two new surveys looking at how satisfied parents are with the schools their children attend.

According to our survey, 46% of private-school parents say they are “very satisfied” with the quality of their child’s teachers, and 32% of charter-school parents are equally enthusiastic, but only 23% of parents with students in public schools report that they are as satisfied. On the topic of schools instructing students in “character or values,” 59% of private-school parents report high satisfaction and 38% of charter parents, but only 21% of those sending their children to public schools do. Regarding school discipline, 46% of private-school parents are highly satisfied, 34% of charter-school parents and 17% in public schools. Questions about safety and expectations for students yield similar results.

More information about the surveys can be found in “What Do Parents Think of Their Children’s Schools?” and “How Satisfied Are Parents With Their Children’s Schools?”

– Education Next