CEA Media Release: New Poll Shows Colorado Parents and Voters Value Health, Truth

Sep 29, 2021 | Press

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 29, 2021

New Poll Shows Colorado Parents and Voters Value Health, Truth
Likely voters trust educators, embrace candidates supporting common sense issues

DENVER – Today, the Colorado Education Association released new polling data showing clear majorities of Colorado voters and school parents trust educators and would elect candidates to local school boards who support safe learning environments for students with masks and vaccinations and believe students deserve an honest, age-appropriate account of history in schools.

“School board races are important because they determine whether public schools are going to be places that protect the health and learning of all students – rich, poor, Black, brown, white and more – or they become toxic political battlegrounds,” said Amie Baca-Oehlert, high school counselor and president of the Colorado Education Association.“New polling shows that Colorado voters support common sense policies like vaccination and masks and fact-based curriculum in public schools to keep students healthy and learning.”

The poll shows that among likely 2021 Colorado voters:

• Almost 3 in 5 are more likely to vote for a pro-mask school board candidate
• Almost 60% are more likely to vote for a candidate supporting vaccine requirements in schools
• Almost 9 in 10 are more likely to vote for a candidate who“supports students learning the complete and honest history of our country – including the good and the bad parts.”
• Almost 70%, are more likely to vote for a candidate who“thinks students should learn the facts about slavery in America and the ongoing effects of racial discrimination in our society.”

“As any teacher or parent knows, school is a place where children develop their understanding of the world and their ability to make meaningful change in it,” said Baca-Oehlert.“When I was in school, I was never given a full picture about our country’s history, like western Colorado was part of Mexico or Japanese Americans were jailed in Colorado’s Amache internment camp. Today’s students deserve a full and honest presentation of history so we can right past wrongs and it’s encouraging to know that voters favor electing school board candidates who support healthy, safe and honest learning.”

Links to:

• Coloradans Want Teachers Front-and-Center on Keeping Students Safe From COVID
• Solid Majorities of Coloradans Favor Masks and Vaccination Mandates in School and Overwhelmingly Support Teaching Honest U.S. History Including its Racism
• Crosstabs of survey

About the Colorado Education Association
The Colorado Education Association is the voice of 39,000 educators, working together in a strong union to ensure all students get the exceptional public schools they deserve, in every neighborhood across the state. As Colorado’s largest labor union, CEA works collectively with all education stakeholders to ensure Colorado’s standing as an excellent state in which to learn, live, work, and raise a family.

# # #