____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
             Problems             |                                                Percent
                                  |_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
                                  |1970 |1975 |1980 |1985 |1988 |1989 |1990 |1991 |1992 |1993 |1994 |1995 |1996 |1997 |1998 |1999 |2000 |2001 |2002
__________________________________|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____
                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  | 25  | 19  | 19  | 19  | 20  | 17  | 15  | 18  | 15  | 15  | 15  | 14  | 18  | 15  | 15  | 17
Lack of financial support ........| 17  | 14  | 10  | 9   | 12  | 13  | 13  | 18  | 22  | 21  | 13  | 11  | 13  | 15  | 12  | 9   | 18  | 15  | 23
Fighting/violence/gangs ..........| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 9   | 13  | 18  | 9   | 14  | 12  | 15  | 11  | 11  | 10  |  9
Use of drugs .....................| 11  | 9   | 14  | 18  | 32  | 34  | 38  | 22  | 22  | 16  | 11  | 7   | 16  | 14  | 10  | 8   |  9  |  9  | 13
Standards/quality of education ...| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 8   | 4   | --- | 8   | 6   | 2   |  5  | --- | ---
                                  |     | --- |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
Large schools/overcrowding .......| --- | 10  | 7   | 5   | 6   | 8   | 7   | 9   | 9   | 8   | 7   | 3   | 8   | 8   | 8   | 8   | 12  | 10  | 17
Lack of respect ..................| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 3   | 3   | 2   | --- | 2   | 2   |  2  | --- | ---
Lack of family structure/         |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
  problems of home life ..........| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 5   | 3   | 4   | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Crime/vandalism ..................| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 4   | 2   | 3   | --- | 2   | 5   |  5  | --- | ---
Getting good teachers ............| 12  | 11  | 6   | 10  | 11  | 7   | 7   | 11  | 5   | 5   | 3   | 2   | 3   | 3   | 5   | 4   |  4  |  6  |  8
                                  |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
Parents' lack of interest ........| 3   | 2   | 6   | 3   | 7   | 6   | 4   | 7   | 5   | 4   | 3   | 2   | --- | --- | 2   | 4   |  4  | --- | ---
Poor curriculum/standards ........| 6   | 5   | 11  | 11  | 11  | 8   | 8   | 10  | 9   | 9   | 3   | 2   | 3   | --- | 1   | 2   |  2  | --- | ---
Pupils' lack of interest/truancy .| --- | 3   | 5   | 5   | 5   | 3   | 6   | 5   | 3   | 4   | 3   | 2   | 5   | 6   | 5   | 2   | --- | --- | ---
Integration/segregation/          |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
  racial discrimination...........| 17  | 15  | 10  | 4   | 4   | 4   | 5   | 5   | 4   | 4   | 3   | 2   | 2   | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Management of funds/programs......| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 2   | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
                                  |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |     |
Moral standards ..................| --- | --- | --- | 2   | 6   | 3   | 3   | 3   | 4   | 3   | --- | --- | --- | --- | 2   | 2   | --- | --- | ---
Low teacher pay ..................| --- | --- | --- | 2   | 4   | 4   | 6   | 4   | 3   | 3   | --- | --- | --- | --- | 2   | 2   |  4  | --- | ---
Teachers' lack of interest .......| --- | --- | 6   | 4   | 3   | 4   | 4   | 2   | 2   | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Drinking/alcoholism ..............| --- | --- | 2   | 3   | 5   | 4   | 4   | 2   | 2   | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
Lack of proper facilities ........| 11  | 3   | 2   | 1   | 1   | 1   | 2   | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | ---
__________________________________|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____

SOURCE: Phi Delta Kappa, Phi Delta Kappan "The Annual Gallup Poll of the Public's Attitudes Toward the Public Schools," various years. (This table was prepared August 2002.)