Education

Some Survey Findings

January 22, 1997 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Among the results from the survey of 1,247 school board members are the following:

  • About 54 percent consider themselves religious conservatives; 36.1 percent describe themselves as religious liberals.
  • About 65.4 percent say they are political conservatives; 28.5 percent see themselves as political liberals.
  • Two-thirds agree that school choice plans would widen economic and racial gaps between schools, though 59.5 percent of that segment add that the plans would force schools to be more responsive to their communities.
  • When asked whether Christian or non-Christian prayer should be allowed at school functions, just under half said Christian prayer was a good idea, and 45.8 percent said that non-Christian prayer is appropriate.
  • About 60 percent say they support beginning comprehensive sex education in the elementary grades. Of that segment, 51.1 percent describe themselves as religious liberals, and the remainder identify themselves as religious conservatives. Of those opposed to early comprehensive sex education, 77.9 percent say they are religious conservatives.

Events

Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum Supporting the New K-12 Workforce: What Teachers Need to Stay at School
 Join this free virtual event to discover what teachers say they need to feel supported to stay in classrooms for the long haul.
College & Workforce Readiness K-12 Essentials Forum Career and Technical Education Takes Its Next Big Step
Join this free virtual event to hear creative approaches to modernize CTE programs and navigate the shift away from a near-exclusive focus on "college preparedness."

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

Education Opinion The Education Wisdom Our Readers Keep Revisiting: Top 10
These opinion blog posts and essays have made a lasting impression on readers.
1 min read
Trendy halftone collage cutout elements. Laptop, rising arrow chart, gears, handshake, watch, magnifier. Idea, teamwork, brainstorming and success concept Modern retro vector illustration
Cristina Gaidau/iStock
Education Opinion The Opinions EdWeek Readers Care About: The Year’s 10 Most-Read
The opinion content readers visited most in 2025.
2 min read
Collage of the illustrations form the top 4 most read opinion essays of 2025.
Education Week + Getty Images
Education Quiz Did You Follow This Week’s Education News? Take This Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read
Education Quiz How Did the SNAP Lapse Affect Schools? Take This Weekly Quiz
Test your knowledge on the latest news and trends in education.
1 min read