Teachers Agree Stress Needed On 'the Basics'

By Jeanne Ponessa

Teachers in the nation's schools agree with the general public about the importance of basic academic and computer skills, but they disagree over how good a job those schools are doing, a survey has found.

The study released last week by Public Agenda also found that teachers share the public's support for higher academic standards, but do not rank such standards among their highest priorities.

Teachers believe, for example, that students should not receive high school diplomas unless they demonstrate a clear command of English. But while 76 percent of the public gave this view the highest possible approval rating, only 54 percent...