Majority of U.S. Voters Support Inclusive Education and Teacher Agency

As the U.S. grapples with waves of book bans and anti-inclusive education policies, a representative poll of 1,000 U.S. voters, conducted by Brilliant Corners Research & Strategies on behalf of the Black Education Research Center (BERC), revealed that an overwhelming majority support teacher agency and inclusive curriculum.

Titled It’s Time to Teach the Truth: A Report on American Attitudes Toward K-12 Education, the results and corresponding analysis also suggest that attacks on education don’t resonate with the general public and Americans are supportive of including Black and ethnic studies units into K-12 curriculum.

BERC unveiled the results with a presentation by renowned pollster and President of Brilliant Corners, Cornell Belcher, followed by a conversation and Q&A with Belcher and Sonya Douglass, Director of BERC and Professor of Education Leadership.

“The work that Professor Douglass is doing through BERC, and that I see through Brilliant Corners and the partnerships established with NYC, reveal what works to make what we want to see possible—enabling the future,” said Provost KerryAnn O’Meara in her opening remarks. Indeed, the poll findings, and ensuing conversation between Douglass and Belcher offer a thoughtful foundation from which to consider how U.S. curriculum can more adequately reflect the educational priorities of all Americans. Read on for major takeaways from the report.