A survey of over 1,000 registered Latino voters in 24 states revealed that improving public education tops the list of issues that Hispanics name as the number one priority for presidential candidates to address in the upcoming 2008 race. Education even surpasses health care and immigration—two issues that have been making headlines recently—as the chief concern in the Latino community. The study was conducted by Bendixen & Associates and funded by Strong American Schools, a project of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors.

 

"The Latino community is increasingly showing its desire to help shape the future of our country at the ballot box," said Janet Murguia, President and CEO of the National Council of La Raza, in a public statement.

 

La Raza is the largest Latino civil rights and advocacy organization in the U.S.

Murguia is also steering committee member for “ED in '08,” a nonpartisan campaign to raise awareness of education issues in the 2008 presidential race.

The vast majority of respondents cited improving the current state of public education as a “very important” issue for candidates to undertake (89 percent). Forty one percent of all voters and nearly half of voters with children attending public schools stated that candidate positions on education will be the most important key in deciding their vote for president.

 

"What this poll makes clear is that Latinos believe the key to our future is improving the quality of public school education and will vote for the candidate with the best comprehensive plan to do that," Murguia continued.

 

According to respondents, the most glaring problem affecting the community is the “high dropout rate” among Hispanic students (85 percent). More than half of Latino parents with children in school worry that their own children will drop out, and an alarming two-thirds of immigrant parents are concerned that their children will drop out of school soon.

 

Though a majority (60 percent) of respondents maintained that public school teachers are “excellent” or “good,” they also blame the presence of some low quality teachers on low teacher salaries, saying that they are “not paid enough.” Over 80 percent state that schools must hire more teachers who are experts in the subjects that they teach. However, many also assert that parents must take responsibility for their children’s education; more than half of respondents with children state that parents must take the most responsibility to prevent dropouts.  

A great source of frustration for Latino voters is the sentiment that Latino children are not getting enough support to help them succeed in school. A majority of roughly two-thirds of respondents argues that schools must hold students to higher academic standards, with only one-third concerned that higher expectations could be counterproductive and increase drop out rates. Nearly one-quarter of Hispanic parents complain that their children are not receiving adequate in-school support.

 

"Presidential candidates have been largely silent about our failure to give our children the skills to be ready to succeed in college, career and life," said Roy Romer, Chairman of ED in '08, in a public statement.

 

"If the presidential candidates want to respond to the priorities of Latinos and demonstrate they're ready to be president, they can start…by talking about their plans to get our children ready to succeed in college, career and life," Romer added.