School Voters See Disciplin Finances Among Top Issues

"What do you think are the most important problems facing the Ann Arbor Public Schools?" Ann Arbor voters named discipline problems, racial relations, financial problems, and the need for diversified curricula, particularly for non-college-bound students' as the top f o u r issues facing their schools. A random sample of Ann Arbor voters was recently surveyed to assess attitudes i toward the public schools in the fall of 1970, and opinions j about school programs, cur-l ricula, policies and personnej and what priorities votersl attached to these. I A list of 1,568 names ofl registered voters was drawnl wr a mail survey. Of these ñames 252 proved to be no longer resident in the school I district leaving a base of j 1,316 ñames in the sample. Of I these, 70.3 per cent returned I questionnaires. Some of thesei I were incomplete and final' I data is based on 876 returned I questionnaires. I Additionally, a small sample was drawn to provide 100 names, plus substitutes, for in-depth personal interviews. . One hundred and three in[ dePth persona! interviews lasting an average of one hour each were completed Interviews were made by professionals under the supervisión of Market Opinión Besearch of Detroit. Details of the sample and Jsponse were given in a full I I report to the Ann Árbor I Board of Educatibn Jan. 13, 1971. In general the mail survey respondents match other samples available on Ann Arbor voters. There is a small over-representation of those in professional and technical occupations, some underrepresentation of Catholics and a slight under-representation of black voters. On the basis of past school election figures, non-voters in the last school election did not respond at the same rate as voters. This'was anticipated when a decisión was made, on the basis of cost, to I conduct a predominantly mail survey. Survey returns at 70 per cent are extraordinarily high for a complex mail questionnaire, according to the Market Opinión Research summary report. _ The questionnaires used for I , ■MMM both the mail survey and the personal interviews w e r e developed jointly by a Citizens' Opinionaire Task Force, appointed by the Ann Arbor Public Schools with representatives of more than 20 community organizations, and by professional research personn e 1 of Market Opinión Research. Data was collected in November and early December 1970. Voters in Ann Arbor are ciirrently satisfied with the quality of education offered by the Ann Arbor Public Schools. Sixty-five per cent are satisfied with educational quality and this rises to 75 per cent among parents of school children. Only 16 per cent of the total sample are dissatisfied. A t either (over please) I SCHOOL VOTERS SEL. . . (continued) extreme of a ñve-interval scale running from "very dissatisfied" to "very satisfied," only four per cent were "very dissatisifed" while 24 per cent of the total and 31 per cent of the public school parents are "very satisfied." Ann Arbor voters consider teaching basic skills (reading, writing, arithmetic, etc.) the most important function of the public schools. They put preparing students for vocations somewhat ahead of preparing them for college. Voters were given a list of 20 programs, functions and curricula currently offered by the public schools. They were asked to rate each on a scale which ran: 1- very unimportant 2- somewhat important, 3- neither important nor unimportant, 4 - somewhat important, and 5 - very important. Voter priorities were clearly on academie courses and preparation. Voters were asked to rate the Ann Arbor Board of Education, the central administration ei the schools, and the administrations at the public high school, junior high school, and elementary schoo' serving the respondent' 3 own area. Generally, respondents gave ratings in the average-togood range to elementary s c h o o 1 admicistrations, slightly above average to junior high administrations, average to high school and central administrations and slightly below average to the Board of Education. For all but elementary administrations, the most negativo ratings came from non-public school parents and from those who voted "no" on the last millage proposal. The most positive evaluation of the Board of Education and central administration came from "yes" millage voters and black voters. Ratings by those who did not vote in the last school election were between those of the "yes" and "no" millage voters, but closer to those of "yes" voters. Fifty-eight per cent of voters feel their point of view is "somewhat represented" on I the Board of Education while 26 per cent feel it is not! represented. Only eight per cent feel their viewpoint is well represented to some degree. These persons are ' largely concentrated among "yes" millage voters and parents of public schoolchildren. The feeling of not being represented is highest among non-public parents and "no" millage voters. Ann Arbor voters are well satisfied with the quality of teaching in their schools. One-quarter proclaim they are "very-satisfied" and over one-third "more say they are "somewhat satisfied." Only 10 per cent express any dissatisfaction with the quality of teaching. Over one-third of voters (37 per cent) "strongly agree" there should be innovation and experimenting in teaching in the local schools and another 28 per cent "somewhat agree." Only 17 per cent disagree with innovation in teaching. Voters express themselves very strongly on the question of "What are the most important problems facing the Ann Arbor Public School?" By percentages (voters could name one or several problems) those problems they named can be categorized as: -Discipline and disruption 44 per cent; - Racial problems 29 per cent; -Financial problems 26 per cent; - Need for diversified curricula (including more for noncollege bound) 25 per cent; - Overcrowding 13 per cent; - Administration 12 per cent; - Teachers 11 per cent; - Drugs 8 per cent; -Board of Education 5 per cent; - All other problems (none mentioned by more than a few respondents) 7 per cent; - Don't know 5 per cent. In the area of finances, 68 per cent of the Ann Arbor voters surveyed would like to see the Board of Education more active in taking stands with the Legislature to get changes in financing of schools. When it comes to allocation of school monies, the bulk of opinión is to spend about the same as at present for supplies, maintenance, administration, research, public information and teachers' salaries. However, a larger percentage of voters are willing to spend more for teachers' salaries (44 per cent) than want to spend less (7 per i cent). One quarter (25 per cent) are willing to spend more for public information, 19 per cent for research, 11 per cent for administration, 22 per cent for maintenance and 27 per cent for public information, 34 per cent for research, 34 per cent for administration, 7 per cent for maintenance and 10 per cent for supplies and equipment. The total sample is 65 per cent to. 24 per cent against spending public school money for parochial schools (the rest are undecided). Only I non-public school parents show large majority support for public aid to non-public schools. W h e n classrooms and school buildings are crowded, one-third of voters (33 per cent) would prefer the school district to build additional permanent buildings, 26 per cent would prefer operating schools on a 12-month year, 18 per cent would prefer split or staggered shifts and 13 per cent would prefer adding portable classrooms. "No" millage voters prefer the 12month year or splitstaggered shifts over new buildings. Over half (56 per cent) of voters feel that if a third high school is built it should be of less expensive construction than either Pioneer or Huron. Only 20 per cent want a high school comparable in construction to Huron while 37 per cent want one comparable to Pioneer. Dissatisfaction with student behavior and school discipline policies is extremely high (58 per cent) and is higher amoiig parents of public school students than among nori-parents. Suggestions for programs for disruptive students, , however, are largely for counseling, psychological help and special tutoring classes rather than of a punitive or expulsión nature. There is high agreement among all categories of voters surveyed that students who damage school property should pay for damages. This agreement runs to 91 per cent in the total sample. The dates of data collection- November 1970- shortly after disruptive incidents at Pioneer High School explain some of the high dissatisfactionl with behavior and the I vorable perceptions of I pline policy. Over two-thirds of voters feel that the Ann Arbor Public Schools are "trying hard" to solve racial problems and, by a smaller percentage (48 per cent) that they are "making progress." Black voters who were surveyed, share the positive opinión with white voters that the schools are "trying" though they agree by smaller percentages. White and black voters are in disagreement, however, as to whether the high schools give in too much to the demands of black students with the whites agreeing strongly that they do and the blacks disagreeing strongly. The primary source of information about the Ann Arbor Public Schools is newspapers. Radio, other people and school children are important second sources of information. Fifty -fiyeper cent ot those surveyea wuuiu like the Board of Education to send a regular newsletter to all citizens of the district. The results of the entire opinión survey is on file at the Ann Arbor Public Library and copies of the summary of the survey are available from the Public Schools Office of I Community Spi-víprs.