A new national poll from The Current Project, a non-profit organization that supports the well-being of Black single mothers, looks at attitudes toward the overall direction of the country, indicators of social and economic well-being, and perspectives on education issues.

The education results are grim: 90% of those surveyed don’t believe the “traditional approach to public school meets students’ needs” and 56% have considered changing their children’s schools in the last year. When choosing among candidates for public office, six in ten Black mothers said they were more likely to vote for someone who supports school choice.

One mother interviewed, Monique Taylor from Detroit, Michigan, said she struggled to transfer her son to a different school after her son was “kicked out” of his home district when he was 5. She finally succeeded when she got him into a nearby public charter school but by the time he got there “he felt like the school system gave up on him.”

“We’ve been trained that we need to be thankful — at least the kids are in school, be thankful, be thankful, be thankful,” she said. “That’s not the case. Our kids deserve to know that their future is really their future.”

Alisha Gordon, founder and Executive Director of the Current Project, said,

“We view public school choice as an exercise in Black single mother’s agency. Being able to make informed, resourced decisions about where we send our children to school can serve as an interrupter of generational social and economic pitfalls. Our children deserve a high-quality education in a public school and we’re going to hold elected leaders and political candidates accountable to fill this unmet need.”

Here are the complete findings on education:

• Key Takeaway: Black single mothers are not confident that today’s education system is meeting their child’s needs, they recognize the clear value in the role public charter schools play, and they want political candidates to support school choice.
• School System: 87% say the one-size-fits-all school system of the past often doesn’t meet students’ needs.
• Role of Public Charter Schools: 64% believe charter schools help the whole public education system improve for all kids; Charter schools also have the highest net favorability (+38) compared to traditional district schools, private schools, and magnet schools.
• Motivating Voters: 86% are more likely to vote for candidates running for office who support giving parents more options to decide where their kids go to school.
• Education Concerns: 76% are concerned about their child’s learning or academic progress; Only 31% are very satisfied with the schools their children attend.
• Searching for Options: More than half (56%) have considered choosing a different school for their children over the past year.
• School Leaders: 86% say the country needs more schools led by people of color