Poll Shows Bi-Partisan Hoosier Public Support for Common Core
Proponents of Common Core say a new poll shows nearly two-thirds of Hoosiers support the standards outlined in the curriculum and nearly 80 percent don’t think less of lawmakers who do.
The poll, commissioned, by Stand for Children, the education reform group, was released today, just one day before the final legislative hearing on Common Core.
The state adopted Common Core back in 2010, however, lawmakers put its implementation on hold last year due to Tea Party activist protests.
Public Opinion Strategies, a firm that has polled for many GOP congressmen, mayors, and the State Republican Party, completed the poll on Common Core last week. Among the key findings:
- After a description of Common Core is read, 68% favored CCSS and only 24% opposed.
- Even among conservatives, 65% supported Common Core.
- 72% of Republican Primary voters say they would be more likely to vote for a Common Core supporter, or it would make no difference at all in their voting decision.
- The vast majority of Hoosiers – 89% — say the public education system in Indiana needs change.
Out of the 68% who support Common Core come from all political persuasions. Republicans support the standards 74% to 23%. Democrats are for Common Core by a margin of 76% to 17%. The classroom benchmarks perform worst among Independents but still have a 59% to 30% favorability rating.
Members of the Common Core Legislative Study Committee will issue a report on the standards as early as Tuesday, but any recommendation is not binding. The Indiana State Board of Education has the final say on the standards according to Indiana law.
The poll was conducted from Sept. 23-26, and 500 Hoosiers were surveyed. The poll has a margin of error of 4.38%.
