The U.S. Education Climate
Rapid

In September 2024, Count on Mothers surveyed 669 mothers across 46 states and the political spectrum to understand their views and firsthand experiences with public schools. The study examined school enrollment patterns, levels of trust and satisfaction, interest in switching school types, and the factors driving declines in public school enrollment. Findings highlight strong overall participation in and trust toward public schools, alongside persistent concerns—particularly related to bullying, safety, and accountability.

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September 30, 2024
Related themes:

Family Economic Security and Cost Pressures

Shared Priorities and Cross-Partisan Alignment Among Mothers

  • Strong participation and baseline trust in public schools:
    About 74% of mothers send their children to public schools, and majorities report trust in teachers (75%) and administrators (65%), as well as confidence that schools provide a physically safe and emotionally supportive environment.
  • Bullying and safety are the dominant concerns:
    While overall sentiment is positive, 36% of mothers cite bullying or safety as a key concern, rising to 46% among mothers with children currently in public schools, making it the most frequently cited issue.
  • Interest in switching schools extends across school types:
    About 40% of public school mothers would consider leaving if given the option, but notable shares of private (~20%) and charter or homeschool mothers (~27%) also report interest in switching—indicating dissatisfaction is not limited to public schools.
  • Different concerns drive dissatisfaction:
    Mothers seeking to leave public schools most often cite bullying and safety, while mothers already outside the public school system are more likely to point to academic quality and funding.
  • Clear priorities for improvement:
    Across open-ended responses, mothers consistently identified bullying, safety, inadequate funding, and academic quality as the most important problems to address, underscoring the need for stronger school climate initiatives, clearer accountability, and improved communication with families.
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Count on Mothers conducts nationwide surveys and qualitative research with U.S. mothers. Findings are analyzed and reported in aggregate to inform research publications and decision-making related to families.
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