Education and Workforce: What TX voters agree on
Most Texas voters agree that investments in education and workforce development should be a top priority for legislators in 2023.
That’s the far-reaching conclusion of our 5th Texas Voter Poll, which was released earlier this month. Here are the key takeaways on education and workforce from our survey.
Education is a top priority for voters
When asked how they wanted to spend Texas’ record surplus of $27 billion, Texas voters identified public education as the top priority in our voter poll.
“Texas voters strongly support common-sense action and sustainable investments in water, workforce, and education – leaving future generations a foundation for success,” said John Hryhorchuk, senior vice president of policy and advocacy for Texas 2036.
Texans support teacher pay
The big picture: Texas voters strongly support increasing teacher pay for both merit-based and across-the-board.
- 79% of voters support across-the-board pay raises for all teachers.
- 65% of voters support prioritizing those who serve higher-need students.
Texans support annual reading and math tests
What we found: 87% of Texas voters support the use of annual reading and math tests to provide “apples-to-apples comparisons” of how local schools are performing relative to others in the state. Only 7% of voters opposed the use of such tests.
Educational assessments: why they matter
Voters: Post-secondary education credentials should be a priority
By the numbers: Nearly 90% of Texas voters believe it is important for the state to focus on increasing the number of post-secondary credentials while students are still in high school.
- 34% said it is extremely important.
- 32% said it was very important.
- 23% said it was somewhat important.
Why it matters: Voters want to ensure Texas students will be college- and career-ready after graduation.
Career Readiness in TX: How to improve it
Texas community colleges: Why they matter
More coverage on education and workforce:
Education, workforce are ‘most important’ to Texans: Survey
Workforce development in Texas: The latest
Community colleges key to solving Texas’ shortage of skilled workers: Report