Moms Say Kids Need School Vouchers

New Poll Shows Mothers Support Educational Choice for All Students

INDIANAPOLIS, May 9, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Just in time for Mother's Day, a new national poll of American mothers finds that 71 percent support school vouchers for all children to get the best education possible.

The poll, conducted April 17 to 24, asked mothers of school-aged children and other adults in a statistically representative national survey how they feel about education in their communities and school choice. A resounding 71 percent of moms said they believe school vouchers should be available to all families regardless of income or special needs.

"The bond between mother and child is precious; moms want and need options to help them access whatever type of education their child may need," said Leslie Hiner, vice president of the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice. "They will go to great lengths to find a school that will help their child be successful. That's why moms support school choice."

Scholars debate whether educational options should only be offered to low-income children or those in failing schools, or to all children. According to data compiled by Braun Research Inc., most moms agree with Nobel laureate Milton Friedman who believed that educational choice should be available to all children.

Only 30 percent of mothers said that vouchers should be based on "financial need" compared to 71 percent of moms who said they should be available to "all families, regardless of incomes and special needs."

"School vouchers are meant to create an option for all children who need a choice when their public school isn't working for them," said Robert Enlow, President and CEO of the Friedman Foundation. "Moms know what's best for their kids."

The poll also asked mothers and other adults to grade their local public schools, charter schools and private schools.

Of those mothers who offered specific grades (A to F), 65 percent of Moms graded their area public schools "A" or "B" compared to 83 percent of moms who gave the same high marks to parochial or private schools.

Other respondents had similar views – with 63 percent grading their local public schools "A" or "B" and 65 percent giving charter schools high grades. In contrast, 82 percent of the same respondents graded local parochial or private schools "A" or "B".

The Friedman Foundation sponsored the poll conducted by Braun Research Incorporated (BRI). The polling project's nationwide sample included 803 adults. BRI conducted additional interviews to achieve a nationally representative sample of mothers of school-aged children, totaling 401 interviews. The margin of error was +/- 3.5 percentage points for the national sample and +/- 4.9 percentage points for the moms' sample.

To learn more about the poll go to: http://EdChoice.org/MomsPoll

The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and nonpartisan organization, solely dedicated to advancing Milton and Rose Friedman's vision of school choice for all children.

SOURCE The Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice