New Poll: NYC Democrats and Voters of Color Hold Favorable Views of Public Charters and Support Cap Raise

New York

January 29, 2023

CONTACT: Victoria Fosdal, victoria@dfer.org

NEW YORK, N.Y. (Jan. 29, 2023) A new poll released by Democrats for Education Reform New York (DFER NY) conducted by Morning Consult found New York City Democratic voters have a favorable view of public charter schools and strongly support raising the arbitrary cap on the number of public charters in the state by a wide margin. The poll found New Yorkers have a favorable view of charter schools by a 19-percentage point margin (46% favorable to 27% unfavorable) with all registered voters and by an even wider broader support among New Yorkers identifying as Democrats (49%-25%).

The results are comparable when asked about raising the charter cap. When asked:

“Do you support or oppose New York state increasing the cap on the number of public charter schools allowed to open in New York City?,”  

  • 51% of Democratic respondents support raising the cap, compared to 27% opposing it
  • That’s a 24 point margin.
  • 53%, a majority of Hispanic New Yorkers (+27) and 48% of Black New Yorkers also support a cap raise (+25) 
  • 64% of respondents who identify as Parents (+41) support a cap raise, as well.

Support for public charter schools in the poll continued to grow among Democratic voters (342 of the 600 voters) surveyed as they received more details and information about charters.

  • After messaging, 59% of Democratic voters had a favorable impression of public charter schools (+10 since initially asking), to 58% for Hispanic voters, 61% for Black voters and 70% for Parents.
  • After messaging, both positive and negative about charters. Support, among Democrats, for raising the cap increased to 56% (+5 from the initial ask), to 56% for Hispanic voters, and 61% for Black voters.
  • After messaging, both positive and negative about charters. Support, among Parents, for raising the cap increased to 68% (+4 from the initial ask)

“New Yorkers always want more choices, and this poll shows that includes more high quality choices in the public school system. For too long, families in some of the poorest communities have been denied the opportunity to select the best school for their families. Public charter schools ensure every family has high-quality options, and we look forward to working with leaders in Albany to lift the cap on public charters,” said DFER NY Executive Director Jacquelyn Martell.

“For far too many families in Brooklyn, they lack a quality public school to send their children. These results prove more New Yorkers want more choices and that includes public charter schools. We need to raise the cap to empower New York families,” said Brooklyn Assemblymember Brian Cunningham.

“The results from this poll mirror what I am hearing from the parents and families in my district: they want more choices and more high-quality public schools. That’s why I support having conversations on how we can bridge the gap and provide our students with a competitive education,” said Bronx Assemblymember George Alvarez.

You can view the full poll here. Crosstabs are available upon request.

Methodology 

This poll was conducted by Morning Consult between January 23-January 24, 2023, among a sample of 600 New York City Voters, 342 of whom identified as Democrats. The interviews were conducted online and weighted to gender, age, race, and education. Results from the full survey have a margin of error of +/-4% percentage points. The margin of error for Democrats is +/-5% percentage points.

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