The structure of public confidence in education

Recent studies indicate that Americans have lost faith in public schools. Polls trace a steady decline of confidence in the educational system extending over the past two decades. The general trend masks two anomalies, however. First, several indicators associated with increased confidence in the schools are on the rise-students staying in school instead of dropping out, parents enrolling their children in public schools over private schools, governments boosting financial outlays for public education. Second, poll respondents are more likely to express dissatisfaction with the nation's schools than with their own local schools. This essay explores ways of reconciling the conflicting evidence and argues that we need a more sophisticated definition of public confidence in education.