Photo by Dose Media on Unsplash

Sixty-two percent of public school parents, versus 49 percent of all Americans, give their local public schools an A or B grade, according to the 2017 PDK Poll.

The disparity suggests that those who know public schools well (that is, parents) are much more positive about what’s going on inside them.

The poll, which has been capturing U.S. opinion about public education since 1969, also found that in addition to educating students in academic subjects, Americans want schools to prepare them for life after high school — meaning career preparation and development of interpersonal skills.

As in years past, the 2017 poll found little public support for using public money to send children to private schools. As the executive summary states, “The more Americans know about how voucher programs work, the less likely they are to support them or to say they’d participate in them.”