School Climate & Safety News in Brief

Poll: Urban Parents Find Schools Safe

By Ann Bradley — May 06, 2008 1 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

Parents of students enrolled in urban schools believe their children’s schools are safe, according to a poll released last week, even though more than 60 percent think students fight a lot or aren’t sure about the level of fighting.

The survey of more than 10,000 parents of children in 112 urban schools was conducted for the National School Boards Association’s Council of Urban Boards of Education. It follows two previous surveys about school climate by CUBE on the views of students, teachers, and administrators.

"What We Think"

“Race is not a factor in the success of children at my child’s school.”

BRIC ARCHIVE

Nearly 30 percent of the parents who responded were male; 40 percent were black, about 30 percent were Hispanic, and about 20 percent were white. They were asked about school safety; parental involvement; parental expectations for success; trust, respect and caring in schools; bullying; their community’s welfare; and racial issues.

Overall, the survey found, parents had a more positive view of school than their children did, with 83 percent saying they felt respected by administrators.

Hispanic parents were significantly more likely than parents in other ethnic or racial groups to report that they didn’t feel welcome in their children’s schools during their visits. And almost 20 percent of all the respondents said they had not attended a parent-teacher conference in the past year.

See Also

For more stories on this topic see Research.

Events

Teaching Profession K-12 Essentials Forum New Insights Into the Teaching Profession
Join this free virtual event to get exclusive insights from Education Week's State of Teaching project.
Jobs Virtual Career Fair for Teachers and K-12 Staff
Find teaching jobs and K-12 education jubs at the EdWeek Top School Jobs virtual career fair.
Mathematics K-12 Essentials Forum Helping Students Succeed in Math

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

School Climate & Safety Spotlight Spotlight on Enhancing School Safety and Emergency Response
This Spotlight will help you explore proactive measures and effective strategies for enhancing school safety and emergency response.
School Climate & Safety Leading a District After a School Shooting Is Hard. These Superintendents Want to Help
A network of superintendents who've led districts after school shootings plans to support colleagues recovering from similar crises.
4 min read
Photograph of crime scene tape and school.
F. Sheehan for Education Week / Getty
School Climate & Safety States Emphasize School Violence Prevention, Not Just Security
In the wake of school shootings in their states last year, legislators hope to avert future tragedies.
7 min read
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School, on Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa.
Local residents pray during a candlelight vigil following a shooting at Perry High School, on Jan. 4, 2024, in Perry, Iowa. The deaths in school shootings last year have led to new legislation in a half-dozen states.
Charlie Neibergall/AP
School Climate & Safety Leader To Learn From One Leader’s Plan to Cut Chronic Absenteeism—One Student at a Time
Naomi Tolentino helps educators in Kansas City, Kan., support strong school attendance.
9 min read
Naomi Tolentino Miranda leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino Miranda showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Naomi Tolentino leads a meeting on student attendance at J.C. Harmon High School on Jan. 16, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas. Tolentino showed school administrators recent data reflecting positive progress in combating chronic absenteeism.
Erin Woodiel for Education Week