Republicans confidence in public schools plunged over past two years according to new poll

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A Gallup poll shows Republican voters’ confidence in public schools has declined significantly over the past two years.

"The percentage of Republicans having a great deal or quite a lot of confidence in public schools fell from 34% in 2020 to 20% in 2021 and 14% today," a new Gallup poll found.

It also found that independents' confidence has declined nine percentage points to 29% since 2020 and Democrats' have slightly dropped from 48% in 2020 to today's 43%. Gallup’s poll results show an overall decline from 1973 to today.

"School closures and remote instruction allowed families to see what the heck was going on in the classroom, and Republicans, in particular, were shocked that the schools were indoctrinating as opposed to educating," senior fellow at the American Federation for Children Corey DeAngelis told Fox News Digital.

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NYC parents protest mask mandate at City Hall March 7, 2022. (Fox News Digital)

"Families who otherwise thought their kids were in great public schools - based on ratings by the state and standardized test scores - started to see another dimension of school quality: whether the curriculum was aligned with their values. These parents have woken up, and they're never going back to sleep," he added. 

The Gallup poll comes after a recent survey showing Republicans having an advantage over Democrats in regard to voters' confidence in handling education.

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The American Federation of Teachers (AFT) commissioned a poll from Hart Research Associates, asked, "In general, do you have more confidence in the Democrats or in the Republicans to deal with education issues?" The survey was conducted in seven battleground states where the results showed Republicans with a 39% to 38% advantage on which party voters trust more on education.

In reaction to the survey's results, AFT President Randi Weingarten pushed Democrats to ramp up messaging against Republican attacks on critical race theory.

Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers and a member of the AFL–CIO, speaks alongside Michael Mulgrew, president of the United Federation of Teachers, a New York City teachers union, left, during a news conference, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, in the Manhattan borough of New York. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

For the past two years, parents all over the country have been speaking out against coronavirus related mandates in schools and progressive curriculums that have been associated with critical race theory or gender theory. 

The Biden administration specifically drew the ire of parents when the National School Board Association (NSBA) sent a letter to the Justice Department that requested parents' actions at school board meetings be examined under the Patriot Act as "domestic terrorists." Attorney General Merrick Garland announced a task group to investigate threats of violence against school boards after the NSBA letter. Critics called the move an attack on parents. 

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Conservatives have made significant gains across the country on the issue of education by highlighting CRT curriculum and by opposing COVID related mandates and lockdowns. These issues have led to protests and recalls of school board members across the nation.

In response, Republican elected officials in several states have sought to ban discussion of gender ideology and critical race theory in classrooms, particularly for young students.