New Poll: parents warn of Pandemic’s lasting effect on childrens’ education

Parents are sounding the alarm about their child’s education during the pandemic with 7 in 10 parents saying they are worried that the changes in learning during the pandemic will have a lasting effect. Additionally, 68% are concerned about their child staying on track in school, and half now say their child is learning less.

The concern comes at the same time that more than a third (35%) of parents say their children are receiving less than 4 hours of instruction time per school day. That number grows to 39% among remote only students. The majority of parents (63%) also feel their child should be getting more instructional time with their teachers.

On the issue of closures, 60% say they understand why schools closed in the spring, but are growing more frustrated with how schools are handling the closures as the year goes on.

POLITICAL SPLIT ON VACCINES

• 60% of parents say they will get their children COVID-19 vaccines when they become available, although only 31% say they will do so right away
• 75% of parents who are Democrats say they will get their child vaccinated, while only 56% of parents who are Republicans say they will do so.
• Half of all parents say a vaccine is necessary for them to feel safe sending their child back to school

GOOD GRADES FOR LEARNING PODS

• 16% of parents have at least one child in a learning pod
• 80% of those parents say the learning pod has been helpful for their child’s education

ADULT SUPERVISION REQUIRED

• 37% of parents say they or another adult spends at least 3 hours per day helping with schoolwork or providing additional instruction
• 43% of parents of K-5 students spend at least 3 hours per day helping
• 15% have hired someone to help their children with learning
• Nearly half of those who haven’t hired someone would do so if they had the resources

December 10-18, 2020

N=1008 parents of public school students K-12