As Governor Chris Christie’s numbers declined in this week’s Fairleigh Dickinson University poll, so too did the favorables of the governor’s nemesis of choice: the New Jersey Education Association (NJEA).
According to a PublicMind poll, a third of voters (33%) have a favorable opinion of the statewide teachers’ union. Fifteen percent have a “very favorable” opinion of the teachers’ union.
But 44% have an unfavorable opinion of the association, including one-quarter (26%) whose view is “very unfavorable.” These results changed from a March 30th measurement, where 35% had a favorable opinion and 35%, had an unfavorable opinion of the NJEA.
“It is unusual for any one interest group to be front and center for such a sustained time in state politics,” said Peter Woolley, a political scientist and director of the poll. “It is even more unusual that a candidate, party or interest group investing so much in advertising and organizing would lose ground.”
In other results from the same poll, 90% (85%) have not heard of or have no opinion of the outspoken leader of teachers’ union leader Barbara Keshishian.
Fifty-one percent of all voters agree that two to three years is enough time to evaluate a new teacher for tenure, while 40% say it’s not enough time. But public employee households by a margin of 2-to-1 (63-31) say it’s enough time while other voters split on the issue (47-43).
Fifty-three percent of voters agree one pay scale for all teachers is best, while 38% say teachers of some subjects, like science and math, should be paid more. Voters in public employee households by 2-to-1 agree it should be one pay scale for all, while other voters agree by just a 5-to-4 margin.
