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Austin, Texas (February 19, 2022) — Citadel Sciences today released the results of two new surveys of K-12teachers and parents across the State of Texas. The surveys revealed areas of significant division regarding masks, vaccines and mandates, but alignment between teachers and parents with regard to improving the in-person learning environment. In-person learning is the highest priority, and clean air was seen as the greatest enabler of in-person learning.
"Across the board, education stakeholders are committed to in-person learning as the best option for students. Texas parents think their school district has communicated effectively when it comes to Covid-19 — an enormous accomplishment," said Citadel Chairman and CEO Jim Traficant. “But the survey was also clear that parents expect more going forward to improve the safety and effectiveness of in-person learning, from the school bus all the way to the school house."
Some of the major findings of the survey are summarized as follows:
Teachers prioritize student success over their own Covid exposure
Teachers are more than 3 times as concerned about learning gaps than their own risk of contracting COVID.
Parents worry about kids' Covid exposure, but prioritize learning success
Similarly, 75% of parents are concerned about their children's exposure to Covid-19 at school, yet were most likely to cite as their "greatest concern" that their children were "not receiving a quality education due to the gaps the pandemic has caused."
Parents and teachers both place high value on indoor air quality in schools
78% of parents and 83% of teachers believe clean, pure and healthy air is an important school building feature.
Nine out of 10 parents and nearly all (99%) of teachers say indoor air quality is important for creating an environment where children can learn. 73% of teachers say it's very important.
Parents and teachers oppose vaccine mandates for kids
Just 34% of parents and 30% of teachers think children should be required to receive a vaccine in order to attend school.
Teachers oppose masking kids more than parents
35% of teachers oppose any mask requirement for kids, as opposed to just 25% of parents. The majority of parents and teachers support mask requirements in all cases, when cases are high or for unvaccinated kids.
Parents lack trust in public health agencies
Just 41% of parents are confident that vaccines are safe for children. Further, just 12% report a "high" level of trust in state and local health agencies.
Political divisiveness looms large
In addition to disagreements over masks and vaccines, half (51%) of teachers say “political divisiveness” is the biggest challenge currently facing schools across the country.
Methodology
Interviews of 1,024 parents of children and 293 teachers in public K-12 schools in Texas were conducted online between January 13 and January 25, 2022. Respondents were recruited and surveyed from an online research panel across a combination of computer, mobile and tablet devices. Survey questions were administered in English. The results of the parents’ survey are accurate within +/- 3.1% margin of error. The results of the teachers’ survey are accurate within a +/- 5.7% margin of error.
About Citadel
Citadel Sciences is a systems integrator delivering innovative, multi-layered solutions to help protect every element of indoor spaces, including air quality and monitoring, and surface protection, as well as communications support. For more information, visit citadelsciences.com.
