Debates about education often are dominated by “experts” – professors, researchers, special-interest advocates, know-it-all journalists and others, so it’s refreshing when the general public gets a chance to weigh in.

A new national poll by The Associated Press provides a good look at American attitudes about schools, some of which may surprise you.

A gap in attitudes about overall school quality between the general public and parents showed up in this poll, as it does in many.

54 percent of the general public rated their local schools are “excellent” or “good.” 66 percent of parents agreed with that. But when asked about the specific schools their children attend, 80 percent of parents surveyed said those schools were “excellent” or “good.”

Go figure.

And, 62 percent of all respondents said the quality of U.S. schools was “somewhat” or “much” worse than it was 20 years ago. 49 percent of parents agreed with that.

Here are some other highlights:

• 79 percent of general respondents said education was “very” or “extremely” important to them, exceeded only by the economy (88 percent) and gas prices (82 percent). Iraq, terrorism, gay marriage, etc., rated significantly lower.
• 57 percent said they would be “very” or “somewhat” willing to pay higher taxes for more teachers and improved school facilities, while only 24 percent said they were very/somewhat willing to eliminate teachers and not invest in school facilities if that meant a tax cut.
• Asked about the seriousness of various school problems, 90 percent said student discipline was “very” or “somewhat” serious, followed at an 89 percent for finding and keeping good teachers.
• 38 percent said students should spend more time on math, followed by 21 percent supporting more time spent on English. Support for more time on other subjects was much lower.
• 77 percent said “putting emphasis on the wrong subjects” is a “very” or “somewhat” serious problem.
• 47 percent said standardized tests measure “somewhat well” the quality of schools, but 70 percent said the best way to measure student achievement was classroom work and homework.

They survey was conducted in late June and included 833 adults and 854 parents of school-aged children. The margin of error is plus-or-minus 3.4 percent. Respondents were contacted by telephone and completed the poll online. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, which spends a lot of money on education causes, supported the poll.

What’s your take? Use the “Add” comment link just below to weigh in.