____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                  |                                      Percent
             Problems             |_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                  |1970 |1975 |1980 |1984 |1985 |1986 |1987 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992 |1993 |1994 |1995 |1996 |1997 |1998 |1999
__________________________________|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____
                1                 |  2  |  3  |  4  |  5  |  6  |  7  |  8  |  9  | 10  | 11  | 12  | 13  | 14  | 15  | 16  | 17  | 18  | 19  | 20
__________________________________|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____
Lack of discipline ...............|  18 |  23 |  26 |  27 |  25 |  24 |  22 |  19 |  19 |  19 |  20 |  17 |  15 |  18 |  15 |  15 |  15 |  14 |  18
Lack of financial support ........|  17 |  14 |  10 |  14 |   9 |  11 |  14 |  12 |  13 |  13 |  18 |  22 |  21 |  13 |  11 |  13 |  15 |  12 |   9
Fighting/violence/gangs ..........| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |   9 |  13 |  18 |   9 |  14 |  12 |  15 |  11
Use of drugs .....................|  11 |   9 |  14 |  18 |  18 |  28 |  30 |  32 |  34 |  38 |  22 |  22 |  16 |  11 |   7 |  16 |  14 |  10 |   8
Standards/quality of education ...| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |   8 |   4 | --- |   8 |   6 |   2
                                  |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
Large schools/overcrowding .......| --- |  10 |   7 |   4 |   5 |   5 |   8 |   6 |   8 |   7 |   9 |   9 |   8 |   7 |   3 |   8 |   8 |   8 |   8
Lack of respect ..................| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |   3 |   3 |   2 | --- |   2 |   2
Lack of family structure/         |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
  problems of home life ..........| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |   5 |   3 |   4 | --- | --- | ---
Crime/vandalism ..................| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |   4 |   2 |   3 | --- |   2 |   5
Getting good teachers ............|  12 |  11 |   6 |  14 |  10 |   6 |   9 |  11 |   7 |   7 |  11 |   5 |   5 |   3 |   2 |   3 |   3 |   5 |   4
                                  |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
Parents' lack of interest ........|   3 |   2 |   6 |   5 |   3 |   4 |   6 |   7 |   6 |   4 |   7 |   5 |   4 |   3 |   2 | --- | --- |   2 |   4
Poor curriculum/standards ........|   6 |   5 |  11 |  15 |  11 |   8 |   8 |  11 |   8 |   8 |  10 |   9 |   9 |   3 |   2 |   3 | --- |   1 |   2
Pupils' lack of interest/truancy .| --- |   3 |   5 |   4 |   5 |   3 |   6 |   5 |   3 |   6 |   5 |   3 |   4 |   3 |   2 |   5 |   6 |   5 |   2
Integration/segregation/          |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
  racial discrimination...........|  17 |  15 |  10 |   6 |   4 |   3 |   4 |   4 |   4 |   5 |   5 |   4 |   4 |   3 |   2 |   2 | --- | --- | ---
Management of funds/programs......| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |   2 | --- | --- | --- | ---
                                  |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
Moral standards ..................| --- | --- | --- |   1 |   2 |   5 |   7 |   6 |   3 |   3 |   3 |   4 |   3 | --- | --- | --- | --- |   2 |   2
Low teacher pay ..................| --- | --- | --- |   4 |   2 |   3 |   5 |   4 |   4 |   6 |   4 |   3 |   3 | --- | --- | --- | --- |   2 |   2
Teachers' lack of interest .......| --- | --- |   6 |   5 |   4 |   4 |   5 |   3 |   4 |   4 |   2 |   2 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Drinking/alcoholism ..............| --- | --- |   2 |   4 |   3 |   5 |   6 |   5 |   4 |   4 |   2 |   2 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Lack of proper facilities ........|  11 |   3 |   2 |   2 |   1 |   1 |   2 |   1 |   1 |   2 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
__________________________________|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____

SOURCE: Phi Delta Kappa, "The Annual Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," various years. (This table was prepared September 1999.)