New survey shows Wisconsin parents struggle to understand public school systems

Parents overestimate student achievement, underestimate spending

Wisconsin parents are overestimating how well their children are doing in school while underestimating how much money school districts have to spend on education, according to a new national survey.

The State of Educational Opportunity in Wisconsin study was conducted by 50Can, a Washington D.C.-based non-partisan educational organization that surveyed 20,000 parents.

In Wisconsin, the group partnered with the conservative law firm Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty. About 400 parents and guardians of school-aged children across the state were surveyed between July 8 and Aug. 22, 2024.

Marc Porter Magee, chief executive officer of 50CAN, said national and Wisconsin survey results show parents want more information about their children’s schools, but it has to be easy to understand.

“It’s critical that Wisconsin policy makers take a serious look at our finding and work to address the information gap,” Porter Magee said.

Continued at: https://www.wpr.org/news/survey-wisconsin-parents-struggle-understand-public-school-systems