Third Way, a global research group, has a report today on a recent survey that asked voters what they want to hear from Democratic candidates on the American public education system. The authors note that as recently as twenty years ago,  Democrats were widely trusted by voters on education issues, but that support has faltered. Currently, Democratic candidates best GOP candidates by only eight points when voters consider which party will more reliably protect and improve public education. Regard for teacher unions has fallen as well:

In addition, to the extent that the endorsement of teachers’ unions was crucial in the past to a Democratic candidate’s election, the numbers no longer tell that story. Only 20% of voters say they’d be more likely to vote for a candidate who is endorsed by the national teachers’ unions—a mirror image of the 21% who say that endorsement would make them less likely to support that candidate. A solid majority of voters (54%) say it would make no difference, including 59% of Democrats, 59% of Independents, 62% of liberals, and 46% of teachers.

So, what are voters looking for? According to the survey results, they’re looking for candidates who are able to present a new narrative  on education reform, particularly regarding modernization of the teaching force: stricter licensure requirements like rigorous course content tests; lay-offs based on classroom effectiveness, not seniority; opportunities for pay increases based on performance.

Here’s Third Way’s take-aways, based on that November survey:

• Polling shows that the Democratic edge on education has dwindled, likely because Democrats are seen as the party who is “pouring money into a broken system” and “blaming poverty for problems with public education.”
• Democrats need to show they are willing to break with the status quo, and an agenda to modernize the teaching profession is the best way to do it.
• Americans across the political spectrum broadly support a modernizing teaching agenda, and it bests both other reform proposals and traditional union arguments by a wide margin.