Poll: Expectations of Sending Children to College Growing Among U.S. Parents: With an increased number of parents expecting their children to go to college, K-12 educators must focus more time and effort on how to put effective teachers in the classroom who can help turn those higher education dreams into a reality.Such was one of several conclusions drawn during a panel discussion Wednesday on the heels of a new Gallup Poll that shows growing disenchantment with public schools, a growing belief that teacher quality matters, and parental expectations of college that far exceed the population of students who are prepared to go to college and succeed.
“Who doesn’t want access to a middle-class way of life in this country?” asked Temple University College of Education Dean C. Kent McGuire, referring to a postsecondary credential as the means to a better life.
However, McGuire said there is a “huge gap” between the number of youths who aspire to go to college versus those who will go, much less persist in college and graduate on time, as well as serious issues about how to improve teacher quality and effectiveness in a way that prepares students for the demands of college.
