Dive Brief:

• A number of recent polls from the American Federation of Teachers, Phi Delta Kappa International, EdNext and The Leadership Conference Education Fund reveal what parents want from schools, Edutopia reports.
• The overall takeaway is that parents want students fully prepared for life after high school, with responses showing a perceived lack of funding in schools, a lack of rigor, support for tech and engineering and advanced courses, a desire for greater access to career and technical education opportunities, support for school-provided devices, and expectations that students will attend college.
• Additionally, the PDK Poll found 49% of Americans don't believe standardized exams assess what they believe is important, with support expressed for schools helping students develop interpersonal skills, providing access to tech and engineering classes, and offering advanced courses.

Dive Insight:

While "parents want their children prepared for future success" is an obvious a takeaway from any of these types of polls, there's still plenty for administrators to gain from these findings when it comes to how parents want schools to do that.

One of the most notable takeaways are the AFT and PDK polls' findings that a majority of parents reported the top problem facing their local schools is a perceived lack of funding. For administrators facing those funding concerns, this may signal an opening to mobilize parents and other community stakeholders to join in advocating to lawmakers. If the voices grow loud and numerous enough, change could potentially occur. Ultimately, just about every other parental desire expressed can benefit from those efforts, if successful.