Attitudes Soften Over Children of Illegal Immigrants

USA TODAY

By Greg Toppo

August 22, 2012

http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2012-08-22/poll-illegal-immigrants-children-education/57220762/1

Political battles over get-tough state immigration laws in Arizona and Alabama may be softening Americans' attitudes toward the children of illegal immigrants, a new poll suggests.

Findings released Wednesday by the public education advocacy group Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK) show that four in 10 Americans now favor "providing free public education, school lunches and other benefits" to children whose parents are in the USA illegally.

The poll finds that 41% favor such measures, up from 28% in 1995, the only other time PDK asked the question.

The findings, part of the group's annual poll on public attitudes toward public schools, also finds "clear partisan divides" on the issue, with 65% of Democrats vs. 21% of Republicans favoring school funds for these kids. One in three (33%) independents support the idea.

PDK Executive Director William Bushaw said he's "both hopeful and disappointed" at the new findings — hopeful that more Americans see the importance of underwriting kids' schooling regardless of their immigration status, but disappointed that a majority of Americans still don't support it.

Bushaw said he suspected that high-profile debates over restrictive state immigration laws in Arizona and Alabama gave the issue higher prominence in people's minds.

Wendy Puriefoy, president of the Public Education Network, which advocates overhauling schools in low-income communities, said that 41% support was "very disheartening," given the public's generous attitude toward education.

"We're all immigrants, and we've always helped each other. And the fact that people are thinking that they don't want to help each other anymore just doesn't feel like what most Americans I know believe in their hearts," Puriefoy said.

The poll of 1,002 adults May 7-June 4 — with a margin of error of +/-4 percentage points — ended about a week and a half before President Obama's June 15 announcement that he would "lift the shadow of deportation from these young people" by offering them temporary relief. Bushaw said he wouldn't be surprised if public support has inched up more since then.

As in past years, Americans believe "lack of financial support" is a significant problem: 35% of those surveyed called it the biggest problem facing public schools. Over the past decade, funding has become the most significant issue, even as other problems such as discipline, overcrowding and drugs have receded in the public's mind.

The poll found growing support for public funding of private-school vouchers — up to 44% from 34% last year.

Meanwhile, public support for publicly funded but privately run charter schools dipped, from 70% last year to 66% now.