Members of the generation that arguably has the most at stake in today's education debate may also be the most likely to support various forms of school choice.
That's the takeaway from a recent survey by EdChoice. It found millennials (which it defines as adults ages 18-35) are more likely than older generations to support private school vouchers, tax credit scholarships and education savings accounts. They may also be slightly more likely to support charter schools, but the generational divide there is not statistically significant.
EdChoice, previously known as the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, oversampled millennials in the latest version of its annual "Schooling in America Survey," talking to more than 500.
Millennials are more likely than older generations to support educational options. Source: EdChoice, "Millennial Perspectives."
It found young adults are also more likely to rate education a top political issue. Since vouchers and charter schools have both been around for just over 25 years, this is the first generation that would have had access to these options as children. And now, millennials are starting to have children of their own.
Without jumping into too many pop-sociology generalizations — millennials are often said to prefer customization and control, or to oppose "arbitrary borders" — the idea that younger adults are more likely to support educational options is backed up by other surveys from pro-school choice organizations. Earlier this year, the American Federation for Children found millennials were disproportionately likely to support charters and private school vouchers.
These findings deserve more mainstream attention and scrutiny. If the generation that most recently attended school, and that now accounts for a rising share of parents with school-age children, tends to favor educational options, why should others stand in their way?
