What ails public education in our state? A lot of things, say Coloradans recently surveyed on the subject — but the upshot is a general sense that our schools are on the wrong track.

In fact, most of the 1,000-plus respondents to the statewide survey conducted by respected pollster Magellan Strategies said just that. As The Gazette reported last week, 57% said they believe the state’s public education system “is on the wrong track.” When asked about schools specifically in their area, 53% expressed the same sentiment, That’s up 6 percentage points from the last time the survey was conducted in 2023.

Public ed has an even worse image in rural Colorado, the survey found. Some 74% of rural residents say it’s headed in the wrong direction. That dim view is shared by a majority of residents in smaller towns (55%), suburbs (57%) and urban (52%) areas.

Among concerns cited by those polled were high teacher turnover due to low pay, underfunding overall, and declining test scores. Others were worried about over-reliance on technology and standardized testing.

Some of the top concerns, the survey found, involve the content imparted in the classroom.

Respondents who believe the state’s education system is in bad shape said schools focus too much on “political or social agendas,” including gender identity or diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, instead of core academics. They also worry about “indoctrination.”

“The most common theme across the state was frustration with perceived political or social agendas in classrooms,” said a Magellan Strategies report accompanying the data. Many respondents described schools as “emphasizing” woke ideology, DEI and transgender issues. They said schools are teaching children “what to think, instead of how to think.” The respondents called for a return to “reading, writing, and arithmetic,” the survey said.

The respondents represent Colorado’s broad political, economic, and demographic spectrum, and some of the more specific concerns they expressed reflect that diversity. 

Regardless of respondents’ inclinations, however, it’s a safe assumption more data about Colorado schools, and particularly about their local schools, would be of help. Especially if that data were readily accessible to that average parent, voter and taxpayer.

A clearer picture of the basic facts and figures of schools could allay some of the public’s concerns — or deepen them. Either way, hard data can better equip the public to make informed decisions — in choosing their children’s schools as well as in casting their votes on the basis of education policy. 

Colorado’s Common Sense Institute has developed a new tool to put such information at the public’s fingertips. The institute’s new education dashboard offers key data on proficiency, enrollment, school-choice participation, and funding for every Colorado school district.

How much does your district spend per pupil? What percentage of that funding makes it past administrative costs and into the classroom? What’s the graduation rate? The student-teacher ratio? English-language proficiency? The rate of disciplinary incidents? 

That information and much, much more is available with a few clicks on the dashboard. It allows users to compare school districts, as well.

The institute’s website touts the dashboard as a way “to support transparency and empower families, educators, and policymakers by making it easier to compare and analyze how districts are performing and funded.”

A better-informed public is the first step toward curing whatever ails our schools.

Visit the dashboard at: https://coloradoeducationdashboard.com/