Californians Lose Faith in K–12 Education, Favor Trump’s Girls’ Sports Policy: Survey

On average, most Californians still think their local public schools are doing a good job in preparing students for college, jobs, and engaged citizenship.

Students walk past lockers at a school in Southern California, on Jan. 8, 2024. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

Less than half of Californians say the state’s K–12 public education system is headed in the right direction—the lowest level of confidence since 2020, according to an annual survey on education.

The survey also found that while most Californians oppose immigration enforcement in schools and the closing down of the U.S. Department of Education, they support the Trump administration’s policy of keeping male athletes out of women’s and girls’ sports.

The survey, released on April 17 and conducted by the Public Policy Institute of California, a nonpartisan think tank, from March 27 to April 4, canvassed 1,591 adults, among them 1,094 likely voters and 279 public school parents.

Right or Wrong Direction?

In response to the survey question of whether California’s K–12 public education system is “going in the right direction or the wrong direction,” 45 percent said “right” and 51 percent said “wrong,” and 4 percent said they didn’t know. Meanwhile, 56 percent of public school parents said “right.”

Democrats have more faith in the education system at 65 percent, compared to independents at 38 percent and Republicans at 16 percent.

Half of Californians, at 49 percent, believe that the quality of education has become worse in the past few years.

Only 10 percent believe it has improved. The rest, 37 percent, say it remains the same.

The share of disapproval of education quality is the highest in recent years, except for 2023, when it was at 57 percent.

Still, most Californians and public school parents think their local public schools are doing a good job in preparing students for college, jobs, and engaged citizenship. Eighty-one percent of Californians gave their public schools a passing grade ranging from A, B, and C, while 11 percent gave a D grade, and 8 percent gave the failing grade F.

Women’s and Girls’ Sports

President Trump signed an executive order in early February to ban male athletes from competing in women’s and girls’ sports in educational institutions.

The survey found that the majority of Californians agree with the executive order.

Sixty-five percent of Californians and 71 percent of public school parents support the executive order requiring athletes who identify as transgender to compete on teams that match their biological sex, not the gender they identify with.

The policy has overwhelming support from Republicans (91 percent) and independents (71 percent). About half of Democrats (49 percent) are in line with the policy.

US Department of Education

President Trump signed an executive order on March 20 to facilitate the dissolution of the U.S. Department of Education.

Seventy-one percent of Californians and 74 percent of public school parents oppose the closing, while 27 percent say they support it, and 1 percent say they are not sure.

Democrats (91 percent) and independents (72 percent) overwhelmingly oppose the closing down of the federal agency compared to Republicans (31 percent).

Immigration ‘Safe Zones’ in Schools

President Trump also signed an executive order on his first day back in the White House to step up federal enforcement against illegal immigration.

The survey found that 63 percent of Californians and 72 percent of public school parents are in favor of their local public school district “designating itself as a sanctuary ’safe zone' to indicate that it will protect undocumented students and their families from immigration enforcement.”

Along the same line, the survey also found that 69 percent of Californians and 74 percent of public school parents are in favor of local public school requirements that staff keep information about the immigration status of students and their families confidential.