Executive Summary

Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research conducted focus groups and a survey among California business leaders on behalf of the California Foundation for Commerce and Education and funded by the Gates and Hewlett Foundations. The purpose of the research was to assess the opinions of California business executives towards public education.

The survey results found that business leaders place education as a top priority. This is, in part, due to the fact that executives feel schools, particularly high schools, are not currently doing a very good job in educating students or, specifically, preparing them adequately for the workforce. Executives want schools to produce students with skills that are better suited for the workplace, such as communication skills, a better work ethic, and personal responsibility.

While most executives indicate they believe the school system needs major reform, attitudes about school funding are more complex. Notably, many executives feel current level of funding for schools is inadequate, yet there is a strong sense that there is also too much waste and inefficiency in the system and more accountability is needed for how current dollars are spent. Nevertheless, there is support for increasing funding for specific reforms as long tough oversight and accountability requirements are included.

Methodology

This report is based on research conducted by Greenberg Quinlan Rosner on behalf of California Foundation for Commerce and Education and funded by the Gates and Hewlett Foundations. The survey, a statewide Internet survey of 1,342 business executives in California, fielded January 29-February 14, 2007. The survey has a margin of error of +/- 2.6%.

Key Findings

• Business executives are very concerned about the quality of public schools and rank it, along with health care, as the issue that worries them most.
• Executives do express concern for other issues, though not nearly as much as education and health care. Seven out of ten named the quality of California’s workforce as a concern.
• Business executives gave low marks to public schools, giving an average grade of “D+,” with slightly less than two out of five giving schools a “D” and more than two of five giving schools a “C.” Not a single executive we interviewed gave schools an “A.”
• Executives in California believe the main purpose of a high school education should be providing skills to students so they can be productive workers in California’s economy.