Gallup Poll: Confidence In America's Public Schools Hits Record Low

Confidence in America’s public schools has hit a record low, with only 29 percent of respondents expressing “a great deal” or “quite a lot” of confidence in them, according to results from a recent Gallup poll.

The number is down 5 percentage points from last year, and represents a 4 percent decrease from the previous low of 33 percent in 2007 and 2008.

Public schools rank eighth -- tied with the criminal justice system -- among 16 confidence categories that Gallup studies. Its position is unchanged from last year, and once again follows the presidency and U.S. Supreme Court, and ranks ahead of newspapers.

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