The new Public Agenda report focuses on the attitudes of “the insiders”—principals and superintendents—and compares them with previous research on teacher viewpoints as well as some of the opinions expressed by policymakers on matters such as the No Child Left Behind Act. Both groups of administrators think highly of their own local schools, with nearly 80 percent of principals and superintendents reporting that low academic standards are not a serious problem. Moreover, just 27 percent of superintendents say too many students pass through their systems without learning. Teachers strongly disagree with that sentiment, with 62 percent saying that students slipping through the system without learning is a “very” or “somewhat serious” problem.

Another finding shows why teachers might have a tough time getting these opinions heard. On a list of ways to improve education leadership in schools, superintendents rank “involving teachers in developing policies and priorities” at the bottom; less than half say it is essential. A larger percentage of principals—65 percent—are open to more teacher involvement.

The survey indicates that school leaders, especially principals, are generally satisfied with their teaching corps. Six in 10 principals are “very satisfied” with teachers in their schools, compared with 43 percent of superintendents. But another 55 percent of superintendents are only “somewhat satisfied.”

Superintendents and principals were also asked about ideas to improve teaching. More than 70 percent of both groups think that making it easier for principals to remove bad teachers would be a very effective way to improve the quality of teaching. (Well under half of each group, however, supports eliminating teacher tenure.) Here’s where another reality check pops out. When asked to rate principals in their efforts to get rid of the worst teachers, teachers as a group give principals the worst rating—30 percent say principals do a poor job at this. Twenty-four percent of superintendents agree with that rating, compared with only 13 percent of principals.

Some common ideas for improving teacher quality that are proposed more often by national policymakers or interest groups attract very little support among principals and superintendents. On merit pay, 20 percent of principals and 17 percent of superintendents say it would be “very effective.” Relying more heavily on alternative certification programs gets almost no strong support—only 4 percent of both groups see it as very effective. More popular ideas in the report for improving teaching could have come straight from the AFT’s policy positions over the years, including increasing professional development opportunities, more mentoring for new teachers and reducing class size. Administrators also agree (64 percent of superintendents and 67 percent of principals) that reducing the number of mandates on schools, along with related bureaucracy and paperwork, would help improve school leadership.

Study author Jean Johnson sums up some of the differing perceptions in the report this way: “The majority of superintendents don’t believe kids are slipping through the system without learning, but a majority of teachers say they are. Federal officials are frustrated by the lack of progress on No Child Left Behind; meanwhile local educators say reducing red tape and bureaucracy is one of the most effective reforms they can think of. Reformers who want to improve teaching are pursuing proposals for merit pay and more alternative certification, but most superintendents and principals don’t put much stock in these approaches.” In the end, she adds, “One wonders whether the big picture, ideological, one-size-fits-all debate on reforming schools isn’t crowding out options that might be more useful.”