• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Gilbert Parents Favor Schools, but Want More Challenge

Posted on: Sunday, 25 June 2006, 15:00 CDT

By Jackie Leatherman, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz.

Jun. 24--Ninety-two percent of parents surveyed in the Gilbert Unified School District would give their child's school an A or B grade, but many of them also say the district's curriculum does not challenge students enough.

"It is a snapshot of the public perception of the schools," said district spokeswoman Dianne Bowers. "That kind of information helps us to generate discussions."

A private marketing firm conducted the survey for the district in February. The firm chose a mix of residents that included about 400 parents of district students or former students and about 200 people in the community who have never had children in Gilbert district schools. It was the district's third community survey since 2001.

The majority of respondents had positive ratings for the district, citing "excellent quality." But 30 percent of parents who gave their child's school high marks also said coursework is not rigorous. And 43 percent of the parents who have children enrolled in the district said they had considered sending their children to schools outside of the district -- particularly to charter schools.

Three-quarters of parents said they enrolled their child in the district because of school location. Parents reported that their main concerns with Gilbert's future are large class sizes, overcrowded schools and rapid student enrollment growth.

In addition, 55 percent of Gilbert's parents reported that they would be supportive of students wearing uniforms.

"The district looks at this really carefully when we look at setting strategies and developing action plans," Bowers said.

-----

Copyright (c) 2006, The Tribune, Mesa, Ariz.

Distributed by Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News.

For reprints, email tmsreprints@permissionsgroup.com, call 800-374-7985 or 847-635-6550, send a fax to 847-635-6968, or write to The Permissions Group Inc., 1247 Milwaukee Ave., Suite 303, Glenview, IL 60025, USA.

Source: The Tribune

More News in this Category