Ill Democratic Omens in Education Polls

A surprising new survey by a teachers union finds that voters favor Republicans on the issue of schools.

American voters have long trusted Democrats more than Republicans on the issue of education. That’s changing—and the evidence is in two new polls, one from a teachers union and one from a Democratic organization.

The American Federation of Teachers commissioned a survey of likely voters in battleground states and found that 39% of respondents had more confidence in Republicans to deal with education issues vs. 38% for Democrats. Respondents said the No. 1 problem with public schools is that “education has become too politicized.”

AFT President Randi Weingarten has repeatedly blamed Republicans for politicizing classrooms. But respondents were likelier to say Democrats are “more responsible for politicizing education (and making education too much a part of the culture war)” than Republicans, 33% to 28%. More were dissatisfied than satisfied with “the amount of say that parents have in what their children are taught.” Voters were also substantially likelier to have a “great deal” or a “fair amount” of confidence in parent organizations (56%) and schoolteachers (62%) than teachers unions (44%).

More From The Wall Street Journal (subscription required):