Resistance in the trenches: What shapes teachers' attitudes toward school choice?

Choice-based reforms are the most controversial proposals to improve Americ an education, yet little is known about how teachers view choice. The autho rs present the first systematic analysis of the factors that determine teac her attitudes toward school choice. Using a 1995 national mail survey of 90 0 public high school teachers (325 responded, a 42% response rate), we foun d that more experienced teachers and those who identify themselves as Democ rats, majored in education as undergraduates, or who have never worked in a competitive educational environment are more likely to oppose public schoo l choice. More experienced teachers and those who identify themselves as De mocrats are also more likely to oppose private school choice, as are union members and teachers who teach in school cultures they deem negative. These findings are significant because teachers, both as classroom implementers of public policy and as political actors, help determine the impact of chan ges in education policy.