Californians Want Schools That Work . . .

• Most Californians give their local schools mediocre marks, but 78 percent express confidence that the schools are capable of significant improvement. They are more pessimistic about whether schools will improve.
  
  
• They strongly believe the state should provide a quality public school education to all children who live in California and that the state should spend more money on the public schools, so long as the money goes to classrooms and not bureaucracy.
  
  
• By an overwhelming margin, Californians believe academic standards should be raised and believe that raising standards will lead to higher performance by students.
  
  
• Californians are willing to invest more in pay for teachers to work longer days to keep up with developments in their own fields, but they don't want time for training to come from time in classrooms with children.
  
  
• Californians want the schools to teach the basics well, but they also want students to learn more challenging subject matter, including world and American history and computer skills. They want schools to teach civic responsibility and an understanding and respect for people of different races and cultures.
  
  
• Californians are concerned about violence and discipline and believe order must be a top priority, but they also recognize the importance of keeping students interested in learning. Thirteen percent listed "less violence and fewer gangs" first when asked about something that would indicate schools were improving, while 18 percent listed "student enthusiasm and curriculum improvements." The largest percentage (21 percent) said they would rely on test scores and grades as the best evidence schools are getting better.