By M. Scott Carter
The Journal Record
Posted: 07:10 PM Monday, November 29, 2010
OKLAHOMA CITY – While a recent poll shows a majority of Oklahomans believe teachers’ unions are “getting in the way of public school improvement” that same poll, union officials said, indicates that at least one out of every four individuals understands the unions’ mission.
Last week, officials at SoonerPoll.com released a new survey that showed 55.4 percent of those polled said “teachers’ unions are an obstacle that keeps schools form getting better.” The poll, conducted on behalf of the conservative think tank the Oklahoma Council of Public Affairs, also showed 24.5 percent believed teachers’ unions help make schools better, while another 20.1 percent remained neutral or had no opinion on the issue.
The poll, conducted from Nov. 5 through 11, used interviews of 518 likely voters and had a margin of error of 4.3 percent.
“The teachers’ unions in Oklahoma may begin to question the wisdom of putting State Question 744 on the ballot earlier this month, an initiative with no accountability or reforms,” said Bill Shapard, CEO of SoonerPoll.com. “Keep in mind a majority of Democrats and moderate voters voted against 744, and they are a base that teachers’ unions cannot afford to alienate if they want to succeed in the future.”
Yet while some groups are using the poll’s results to call for major changes in the state’s educational system, the president of the Oklahoma Education Association said the data underscores the belief that many people support union’s work... FULL ARTICLE
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Mon, November 29, 2010
by Crystal Drwenski