Parental rights in education have become a key issue, if not the primary issue, in the Virginia gubernatorial election. While it seems like an obvious loser for Democrat candidate Terry McAuliffe to take the side of school boards over parents when it comes to controlling schools’ curriculum, he’s actually taking a mainstream position within his own party.
According to a recent Suffolk University/USA Today poll, a stunning 70% of Democrats in Virginia want school boards to have more influence on a school’s curriculum than parents. This position is by no means mainstream overall, as 50% of Virginians prefer parents having more influence, and only 39% preferred school boards. In contrast, 79% of Republicans and 57% of Independents want parents to have more control over a school’s curriculum. A mere 16% of Democrats preferred parents over school boards.
"Should parents or school boards have more of an influence on a school's curriculum?"
Parents 50%
School boards 39%
—
Democrats:
Parents 16%
School boards 70%Republicans:
Parents 79%
School boards 12%Independents:
Parents 57%
School boards 32%— Steve Kornacki (@SteveKornacki) October 26, 2021
With less than a week to go, Democrat Terry McAuliffe and Republican Glenn Youngkin are in a dead heat.
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