Results from the 2015 PDK/Gallup poll on attitudes toward public schools are in, showing that Americans believe there is too much emphasis on standardized testing, and they rank standardized testing lower than other approaches to measuring student progress such as examples of student work, grades awarded by the teacher, or written observations by the teacher.

The biggest problem facing school? Lack of financial support.

The 1,001 people polled opposed using standardized test scores for evaluating teachers; they split on whether parents ought to be able to opt kids out of standardized testing; and a majority oppose vouchers and using Common Core standards to guide what teachers teach

You can read results and details here.

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Wade Roberts (center), a Decatur-area resident with children in three of the city's schools, speaks as Decatur parents met with Education Planners, a consulting firm, on Nov. 13, at Beacon Hill Middle School in Decatur to discuss the possibility of one of the district's five K-2 schools closing. (Daniel Varnado for the AJC)

Credit: Daniel Varnado/For the Atlanta Journal-Constitution

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Inventor Lonnie Johnson stands with his Super Soaker water guns at JTEC Energy on Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Atlanta. Johnson, a former NASA engineer, is currently working on a new energy technology through his company’s JTEC device that turns thermal heat into usable energy. (Natrice Miller/AJC)