Item saved to your backpack!

A poll conducted annually by Phi Delta Kappa International (PDK) in conjunction with Gallup has found that Americans rate their public school teachers more highly now than they have in the past.

More than 70 percent of Americans say they have trust and confidence in the people who teach in public schools, and 69 percent give public school teachers in their community a letter grade of an "A" or a "B," compared to only 50 percent in 1984.

Three out of four Americans say they would encourage the brightest person they know to become a teacher, 67 percent say they would like to have a child of their own pursue a career as a public school teacher, and 76 percent say high-achieving high school students should be actively recruited to consider teaching as a career.

"This year's PDK/Gallup poll shows that Americans believe the key to good schools is high-quality teachers," William Bushaw, executive director of PDK International and co-director of the poll, said in a statement. "Interestingly, they have mixed opinions whether state governors or education leaders are the ones who can better ensure that our schools provide the quality they expect."

Although nearly half of Americans believe teacher unions hurt public education, more than half side with teacher union leaders in disputes with governors over collective bargaining. Forty-one percent of Americans would give President Obama a letter grade of an "A" or a "B" for his support of public schools. Only one in three Americans support the use of school vouchers to let students and parents use public money to pay to attend a private school.

Americans, the poll found, believe teacher salaries should be based on multiple factors, including advanced degrees, experience, and the principal's evaluations of the teacher. Students' scores on standardized tests were rated least important.

The findings are based on telephone interviews conducted in June 2011 with a national sample of 1,002 American adults.

For related news and information from Schools.com, see:

• Common Core K-12 standards near finalization
• Study ties bullying to lower high school test scores 
• Study: Reading to dogs helps second-graders
• How kids feel at school impacts achievement
• Elementary School Teacher Salary & Career Outlook