In Difficult Times Good People gravitate towards Absolute Truth
Civitas Poll: Strong Support for Teacher Tenure Law
For Immediate Release:
RALEIGH The latest Civitas Poll suggests strong public support for a new state law that requires local school systems to end tenure. The new law instead allows districts to offer the top-performing teachers four-year contracts with guaranteed pay raises each year of the contract.
According to the poll, 64 percent of respondents said they support a new system for improving teacher quality and increasing the salaries of the best teachers.
"The results tell us two things. First, most North Carolinians are not sold on teacher tenure as something that benefits teachers and students alike. Secondly, the results tell us North Carolinians are committed to ensuring students have access to high-quality teachers in every classroom," said Dr. Robert Luebke, Senior Policy Analyst with the Civitas Institute. "North Carolinians strongly support policies to raise teacher quality, and that's important for all of us to remember."
The poll asked a variety of education questions on topics, including teacher tenure, public spending, teacher pay and Common Core. Significant findings include: 57 percent of respondents think the average salary for a public school teacher is too low, and 74 percent support a plan to raise the annual starting pay of teachers to $35,000. North Carolina residents are largely divided over Common Core: 37 percent support and 36 percent oppose the education standards, with 26 percent undecided. When informed as to how much is actually spent per student, the percentage of respondents who believe North Carolina does not spend enough on education declines from 71 to 50 percent.
The poll of 600 registered North Carolina voters was conducted March 18-20, and has an error margin of plus/minus 4 percent.
Text of questions:
"Does North Carolina spend too much on K-12 public education, not enough on public education, or does it spend about the right amount?"
6% Too much
71% Not enough
16% About right
6% Don't Know
"North Carolina spends between $1,000 and $12,000 in total tax dollars per student each year. Within the range of $1,000 to $12,000, how much do you think North Carolina spends each year per student?"
11% Between $1,000 and $2,000
7% Between $2,000 and $3,000
7% Between $3,000 and $4,000
6% Between $4,000 and $5,000
9% Between $5,000 and $6,000
7% Between $6,000 and $7,000
6% Between $7,000 and $8,000
6% Between $8,000 and $9,000
3% Between $9,000 and $10,000
3% Between $10,000 and $11,000
7% Between $11,000 and $12,000
29% Don't Know
1% Refused
"North Carolina actually spends over $8,500 each year in total tax dollars per student on K-12 education. This does not include money spent to build schools. Knowing North Carolina spends ABOUT $8,500 per student on K-12 education — is that too much, not enough, or about the right amount?"
9% Too much
50% Not enough
30% About right
11% Don't Know
1% Refused
"When it comes to public school teachers in North Carolina, in your view are they paid too high, too low or about right?"
2% Too high
79% Too low
14% About right
4% Don't Know
"North Carolina public school teachers are paid a salary of between $30,000 and $70,000 not including benefits per year. Within the range of $30,000 and $70,000 how much do you think the average North Carolina earns each year?"
14% Between $30,000 and $35,000
19% Between $35,000 and $40,000
25% Between $40,000 and $45,000
18% Between $45,000 and $50,000
6% Between $50,000 and $55,000
2% Between $55,000 and $60,000
1% Between $60,000 and $65,000
1% Between $65,000 and $70,000
14% Don't Know
1% Refused
"The average public school K-12 teacher in North Carolina is paid a salary of $45,355. In your view is this salary too high, too low or about right?"
3% Too high
57% Too low
36% About right
3% Don't Know
"Last month state leaders introduced a plan to raise the starting pay of teachers to $35,000. The plan translates a 14 percent pay increase over two years for first and second year teachers. Do you support or oppose this proposal?"
74% Total Support
21% Total Oppose
48% Strongly Support
26% Somewhat Support
10% Somewhat Oppose
11% Strongly Oppose
5% Don't Know/ No Opinion
"Tenure – or career status – has traditionally been granted to teachers who successfully complete a three or four year probationary period. Tenure prohibits dismissal, demotion or removal except for violating one of fifteen stated criteria. Proponents say it is a safeguard against favoritism. Opponents say it makes it very difficult to remove ineffective teachers. Do you favor or oppose the concept of tenure for teachers?"
45% Total Favor
45% Total Oppose
28% Strongly Favor
17% Somewhat Favor
17% Somewhat Oppose
28% Strongly Oppose
10% Undecided/Don't Know
"A change in state law requires local school systems to end tenure and offer the top performing 25% of the system's teachers four year contracts with a guaranteed pay raise each year of the contract. Do you support or oppose this new system of improving teacher quality and increasing the salaries for the best teachers?"
64% Total Support
29% Total Oppose
38% Strongly Support
26% Somewhat Support
7% Somewhat Oppose
22% Strongly Oppose
7% Undecided/Don't Know
"Traditionally North Carolina has provided largely uniform increases for all teachers. Do you support a system that rewards better teachers with larger raises?"
78% Total Support
15% Total Oppose
48% Strongly Support
29% Somewhat Support
6% Somewhat Oppose
9% Strongly Oppose
7% Undecided/Don't Know
"Do you think that raising the starting salaries of public school teachers will improve teacher recruitment and quality?"
83% Yes
12% No
5% Don't Know
"North Carolina adopted Common Core Standards in 2010 and is incorporating the standards into the classroom. Proponents claim the standards are more rigorous, necessary to align what is taught in 50 different states and Common Core will make students college and career ready. Opponents say the standards and not as good as the best state standards, are age inappropriate, and result in a loss of state and local control over education. Do you favor or oppose Common Core State Standards?"
37% Total Favor
36% Total Oppose
15% Strongly Favor
22% Somewhat Favor
12% Somewhat Oppose
25% Strongly Oppose
26% Undecided/Don't Know
1% Refused
*Due to rounding, subtotals may differ from final sums.
For details, go to: March 2014 crosstabs – education.
This poll of 600 registered voters in North Carolina was conducted March 18-20, 2014 by National Research, Inc. of Holmdel, NJ. All respondents were part of a fully representative sample of registered general election voters in North Carolina. Twenty-five percent of the respondents were cell phone-only users. For purposes of this study, voters interviewed had to have voted in at least one of the past two general elections (2010, 2012) or be newly registered to vote since November 7, 2012.The confidence interval associated with a sample of this size is such that: 95 percent of the time, results from 600 interviews (registered voters) will be within +-4% of the "True Values."
Civitas conducts the only regular live-caller polling of North Carolina voters. For more information on Civitas polling, see http://www.nccivitas.org/category/poll/.
The Civitas Institute is a policy institute based in Raleigh, N.C. More information is available at www.nccivitas.org, or contact Jim Tynen at (919) 834-2099 or james.tynen@nccivitas.org.
Publisher's note: This post, by Jim Tynen, was originally published in the Press Releases section(s) of Civitas's online edition.
Go Back
RALEIGH The latest Civitas Poll suggests strong public support for a new state law that requires local school systems to end tenure. The new law instead allows districts to offer the top-performing teachers four-year contracts with guaranteed pay raises each year of the contract.
According to the poll, 64 percent of respondents said they support a new system for improving teacher quality and increasing the salaries of the best teachers.
"The results tell us two things. First, most North Carolinians are not sold on teacher tenure as something that benefits teachers and students alike. Secondly, the results tell us North Carolinians are committed to ensuring students have access to high-quality teachers in every classroom," said Dr. Robert Luebke, Senior Policy Analyst with the Civitas Institute. "North Carolinians strongly support policies to raise teacher quality, and that's important for all of us to remember."
The poll asked a variety of education questions on topics, including teacher tenure, public spending, teacher pay and Common Core. Significant findings include: 57 percent of respondents think the average salary for a public school teacher is too low, and 74 percent support a plan to raise the annual starting pay of teachers to $35,000. North Carolina residents are largely divided over Common Core: 37 percent support and 36 percent oppose the education standards, with 26 percent undecided. When informed as to how much is actually spent per student, the percentage of respondents who believe North Carolina does not spend enough on education declines from 71 to 50 percent.
The poll of 600 registered North Carolina voters was conducted March 18-20, and has an error margin of plus/minus 4 percent.
Text of questions:
"Does North Carolina spend too much on K-12 public education, not enough on public education, or does it spend about the right amount?"
6% Too much
71% Not enough
16% About right
6% Don't Know
"North Carolina spends between $1,000 and $12,000 in total tax dollars per student each year. Within the range of $1,000 to $12,000, how much do you think North Carolina spends each year per student?"
11% Between $1,000 and $2,000
7% Between $2,000 and $3,000
7% Between $3,000 and $4,000
6% Between $4,000 and $5,000
9% Between $5,000 and $6,000
7% Between $6,000 and $7,000
6% Between $7,000 and $8,000
6% Between $8,000 and $9,000
3% Between $9,000 and $10,000
3% Between $10,000 and $11,000
7% Between $11,000 and $12,000
29% Don't Know
1% Refused
"North Carolina actually spends over $8,500 each year in total tax dollars per student on K-12 education. This does not include money spent to build schools. Knowing North Carolina spends ABOUT $8,500 per student on K-12 education — is that too much, not enough, or about the right amount?"
9% Too much
50% Not enough
30% About right
11% Don't Know
1% Refused
"When it comes to public school teachers in North Carolina, in your view are they paid too high, too low or about right?"
2% Too high
79% Too low
14% About right
4% Don't Know
"North Carolina public school teachers are paid a salary of between $30,000 and $70,000 not including benefits per year. Within the range of $30,000 and $70,000 how much do you think the average North Carolina earns each year?"
14% Between $30,000 and $35,000
19% Between $35,000 and $40,000
25% Between $40,000 and $45,000
18% Between $45,000 and $50,000
6% Between $50,000 and $55,000
2% Between $55,000 and $60,000
1% Between $60,000 and $65,000
1% Between $65,000 and $70,000
14% Don't Know
1% Refused
"The average public school K-12 teacher in North Carolina is paid a salary of $45,355. In your view is this salary too high, too low or about right?"
3% Too high
57% Too low
36% About right
3% Don't Know
"Last month state leaders introduced a plan to raise the starting pay of teachers to $35,000. The plan translates a 14 percent pay increase over two years for first and second year teachers. Do you support or oppose this proposal?"
74% Total Support
21% Total Oppose
48% Strongly Support
26% Somewhat Support
10% Somewhat Oppose
11% Strongly Oppose
5% Don't Know/ No Opinion
"Tenure – or career status – has traditionally been granted to teachers who successfully complete a three or four year probationary period. Tenure prohibits dismissal, demotion or removal except for violating one of fifteen stated criteria. Proponents say it is a safeguard against favoritism. Opponents say it makes it very difficult to remove ineffective teachers. Do you favor or oppose the concept of tenure for teachers?"
45% Total Favor
45% Total Oppose
28% Strongly Favor
17% Somewhat Favor
17% Somewhat Oppose
28% Strongly Oppose
10% Undecided/Don't Know
"A change in state law requires local school systems to end tenure and offer the top performing 25% of the system's teachers four year contracts with a guaranteed pay raise each year of the contract. Do you support or oppose this new system of improving teacher quality and increasing the salaries for the best teachers?"
64% Total Support
29% Total Oppose
38% Strongly Support
26% Somewhat Support
7% Somewhat Oppose
22% Strongly Oppose
7% Undecided/Don't Know
"Traditionally North Carolina has provided largely uniform increases for all teachers. Do you support a system that rewards better teachers with larger raises?"
78% Total Support
15% Total Oppose
48% Strongly Support
29% Somewhat Support
6% Somewhat Oppose
9% Strongly Oppose
7% Undecided/Don't Know
"Do you think that raising the starting salaries of public school teachers will improve teacher recruitment and quality?"
83% Yes
12% No
5% Don't Know
"North Carolina adopted Common Core Standards in 2010 and is incorporating the standards into the classroom. Proponents claim the standards are more rigorous, necessary to align what is taught in 50 different states and Common Core will make students college and career ready. Opponents say the standards and not as good as the best state standards, are age inappropriate, and result in a loss of state and local control over education. Do you favor or oppose Common Core State Standards?"
37% Total Favor
36% Total Oppose
15% Strongly Favor
22% Somewhat Favor
12% Somewhat Oppose
25% Strongly Oppose
26% Undecided/Don't Know
1% Refused
*Due to rounding, subtotals may differ from final sums.
For details, go to: March 2014 crosstabs – education.
This poll of 600 registered voters in North Carolina was conducted March 18-20, 2014 by National Research, Inc. of Holmdel, NJ. All respondents were part of a fully representative sample of registered general election voters in North Carolina. Twenty-five percent of the respondents were cell phone-only users. For purposes of this study, voters interviewed had to have voted in at least one of the past two general elections (2010, 2012) or be newly registered to vote since November 7, 2012.The confidence interval associated with a sample of this size is such that: 95 percent of the time, results from 600 interviews (registered voters) will be within +-4% of the "True Values."
Civitas conducts the only regular live-caller polling of North Carolina voters. For more information on Civitas polling, see http://www.nccivitas.org/category/poll/.
The Civitas Institute is a policy institute based in Raleigh, N.C. More information is available at www.nccivitas.org, or contact Jim Tynen at (919) 834-2099 or james.tynen@nccivitas.org.
Publisher's note: This post, by Jim Tynen, was originally published in the Press Releases section(s) of Civitas's online edition.
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