Survey Is Not the Harbinger WPC Suggests It Is

“New poll shows 10-point jump” https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/new-poll-shows-10-point-jump-in-popular-support-for-school-choice./ I hope this message finds you well and beginning to enjoy a brief return to sunny days and warmer weather. It may be our last window into clear skies, as our West Coast Marine Climate takes control for fall and winter./ As always, I read your postings with interest. Once again, you have documented your sources, for which I thank you. I’ve noted that it is a unique characteristic of agenda driven publications to quote themselves or their parent organization. Haven’t quite gotten used to that, but it’s common enough that it is becoming the expectation. More's the pity. / This sentence represents the thrust and core of your article: “The new poll shows an astounding recent rise in support for school choice programs, from 67 percent of public school parents in April to 77 percent today.” / And it may well be reasonably accurate. However, the source is somewhat questionable. / That “poll” was commissioned by the American Federation for Children, “The group was organized and is funded by the billionaire DeVos family”.* In the organization's own words, AFC is "a leading national advocacy organization promoting school choice, with a specific focus on advocating for school vouchers and scholarship tax credit programs." ** / * [John Nichols, " Right-Wing Billionaires Invest in Wisconsin’s Recall Elections," The Nation, August 8, 2011.] / ** [American Federation for Children, Mission, organizational website, accessed September 2013.] / It will surprise no one that AFC is seeking this kind of information. But, it should surprise your readers that they are the source of this data, since you failed to mention that. By way of explanation, if I were to quote and document a poll that states “Parents Support Local Public Schools in Great Numbers Than Ever Before”, and fail to tell my readers that WEA/NEA commissioned the poll, you and other conservative blogger colleagues would chastise me for that oversight. And well you should. / The validity of the information becomes suspect and further research becomes necessary. The key issue becomes the transparency and reputation of the professional pollster. Tommy Schultz of American Federation for Children appears as an author of reports by Real Clear Opinion article being quotes here. That appears to be a major conflict of interests. The Mason-Dixon pollsters have a solid reputation of providing research for their clients, many of whom are lobbyists and newspapers. Beck Research appears to be Deborah Beck of Washington, DC. She provides research and strategic advice to campaigns, issue organizations, and corporations. Mason-Dixon and Beck appear to be valid sources, Real Clear Opinion not so much. / Then there’s the matter of a quid pro quo (this for that). / “School choice gives parents the right to use the tax dollars designated for their child’s education to send their child to the public or private school which best serves their needs. Generally speaking, would you say you support or oppose the concept of school choice?” / The question upon which you’ve focused offered survey takers access to tax dollars and then asks if they support the idea of school choice. That offer is going to influence the participant’s response. A reputable survey provider would know that and would avoid this error. / Finally, neither you nor the AFC nor the pollsters have pointed out that this current pandemic may well be the cause of the increased interest. Acknowledging the impact of outside forces is part of a pollster’s professional duties. / Taxpayer funded school vouchers and tax credit scholarships may well be the wave of the future. But this survey is not a sufficiently professional harbinger of that.