POLL: Americans Overwhelmingly Reject “Woke” Race and Gender Policies in K-12 Education

Parents believe political extremism is harming their children’s education – and want politicians to stop it

WASHINGTON, DC – The first national poll to ask detailed questions of American voters about efforts to impose Critical Race Theory and “social justice” curriculum on K-12 schools found overwhelming opposition to it and strong support for a de-politicized curriculum.

Key findings include: 

• 25% said it was somewhat or very important for schools to “teach students that their race is the most important thing about them” compared to 70% who said this is not important or not at all important.
  
• When asked whether teachers should present students with multiple perspectives on contentious political and social issues, 87% agreed, compared to 6% who believe teachers should present one perspective that the school believes is correct.
  
• When asked whether their local K-12 school has increased or decreased its emphasis on issues of race, gender, and activism in the last two years, 52% said it had increased a lot or a little. Only 2% said it had decreased. Similarly, 57% said their local schools had become more political, with only 4% saying less political.
  
• 74% said they were somewhat or strongly opposed to teaching students that white people are inherently privileged and black and other people of color are inherently oppressed. Similarly, only 6% of respondents favored schools assigning white students the status of “privileged” and non-white students the status of “oppressed” – versus 88% opposed, including 78% strongly opposed.
  
• 69% opposed schools teaching that America was founded on racism and is structurally racist.
  
• 75% oppose teaching there is no such thing as biological sex, and that people should choose whatever gender they prefer for themselves. Only 18% supported teaching such concepts. 
  
• 80% oppose the use of classrooms to promote political activism to students, including 64% who strongly oppose.

The poll of more than 800 active voters was in the field from April 9^th to the 19^th.  

Nicole Neily, President of Parents Defending Education:  

“The results of this poll confirm that the campaign by extremists to transform our schools into political activist training camps is deeply unpopular among Republicans and Democrats alike, with only a narrow sliver of the farthest-left voters viewing ‘woke’ education favorably. This poll is a shot across the bow at those school districts, school boards, state legislatures, and governors who have either implemented ‘woke’ policies in schools or stood by while activists did so. Dividing our kids and communities based on skin color is abhorrent and has no place in America. Those who do so will be held accountable.” 

A link to the full poll can be found here. 

Parents Defending Education is a national grassroots organization working to reclaim our schools from activists imposing harmful agendas. Through network and coalition building, investigative reporting, litigation, and engagement on local, state, and national policies, PDE is fighting indoctrination in the classroom — and working to restore a healthy, non-political education for our kids.

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