Exclusive Poll: Voters Not Satisfied with Education System, Back Parental Empowerment and School Choice

U.S. voters are not satisfied with the existing education system and overwhelmingly believe in empowering parents and expanding school choice, new polling exclusively obtained by Breitbart News before its public release reveals.

The survey, conducted by Fabrizio, Lee & Associates, a public opinion research firm that worked on President Donald Trump’s presidential campaigns, found that 75 percent of voters would rate the public education system in the U.S. as fair or poor. At the same time, voters believe by nearly a 2-to-1 margin that parents should be in charge of deciding the best education for their children, as opposed to local school boards, teachers’ unions, and the government.

The survey additionally found that 74 percent of voters favor school choice, where parents are allowed to choose the public, private, or technical trade school they send their children to. Eighty-one percent agree that the U.S. should “empower parents” and “prioritize students’ needs by providing greater access and more choices to ensure children receive the best education.” Sixty-five percent say parents should have more of a say in deciding children’s education rather than teachers’ unions.

“We know that school choice is an issue that appeals to millions of Americans,” said Anthony J. de Nicola, chairman of Invest in Education Coalition, whose organization is dedicated to advancing federal school choice legislation. “The November election of school choice champion President Trump reaffirms the results of this survey that the majority of voters want educational options for their children.”

The survey also asked respondents about school choice legislation called the Education Choice for Children Act (ECCA). The Republican-led bill would allow individuals and businesses to donate to non-profit scholarship granting organizations that enable parents to send their children to schools that best meet their educational needs.

According to the poll, 65 percent of voters support the ECCA, and voters by a 2-to-1 margin would be more likely to support a lawmaker that votes in favor of the bill.

“It is more important now than ever to prioritize the passage of policies like the Educational Choice for Children Act (ECCA) so that every child can have the opportunity to attend the school that is best for them,” Nicola said. “It is in the hands of lawmakers to keep the promises they have made to their voters and listen to the desires of the American people and get this done this year.”

The survey found that Hispanic voters show the strongest support for school choice: 78 percent favor school choice where parents are allowed to choose the public, private, or technical trade school they send their children to. Seventy-two percent of Hispanic respondents say they support the ECCA, and 87 percent agree parents should be empowered to prioritize their child’s individual needs in education.

The Fabrizio, Lee & Associates survey was conducted with 1,000 registered voters nationally and a 400 Hispanic oversample between January 5-8, 2025. 

Another recent survey from Parents Defending Education (PDE) found that a majority of U.S. parents support “reducing the size and influence of the U.S. Department of Education,” and 77 percent of parents support “a U.S. Department of Education that allows states to have more flexibility on how they run their school districts.”

That survey was released after Trump repeatedly promised on the campaign trail to abolish the Department of Education (which was established 45 years ago under President Jimmy Carter) and send power back to individual states and communities.

Americans’ record-low confidence in education within the last several years notably arose in the aftermath of  government and union-led school shutdowns during the coronavirus pandemic, which led to catastrophic learning losses. At the same time, many parents were exposed to the left-wing ideology infiltrating their children’s education, along with the discovery of pornography in schools, drag performances for minors, and schools assisting or facilitating sex changes for minors without their parents’ knowledge or consent.

Katherine Hamilton is a political reporter for Breitbart News. You can follow her on X @thekat_hamilton.