Majority of adult Americans 'dissatisfied' with K-12 education: poll

A majority of adults are dissatisfied with K-12 education in the United States, according to a Gallup poll released Thursday.

The survey found that 55% of respondents are dissatisfied, with 32% saying they are "somewhat dissatisfied" and 23% saying they are "completely dissatisfied."

As children return to school across the country, just 9% of adults said they are "completely satisfied" with the quality of K-12 education in the country, while 33% are "somewhat satisfied."

When broken down by political party, Democrat respondents were more likely than Republicans – 51% to 30% – to express satisfaction with the overall state of U.S. education.

However, Americans are more likely to approve of their own child's education, with 80% saying they are satisfied and 20% expressing dissatisfaction. 

The poll was conducted from Aug. 1-23 among a random sample of 1,006 U.S. adults, with a 4% percent margin of error.

The survey comes as students' test scores have dropped sharply across the country following disruptions in the classroom caused by COVID lockdowns, according to National Center for Education Statistics data.