Majority of Americans support teachers’ right to strike, says pollster

Ipsos Public Affairs research director Mallory Newall said on Tuesday that a majority of Americans support teachers’ right to strike at work, referring to a recent Ipsos survey.

“Two-thirds of Americans, and there’s bipartisan support for this, support teachers’ right to strike,” Newall told Hill.TV’s Joe Concha on “What America’s Thinking.” 

“There is support for teachers…even among parents’ too, who are obviously the ones who would have to figure out a plan cover if their kids weren’t in school,” she said. 

“But a majority of parents with children in the home support a teacher’s right to strike,” Newall added. 

The survey found widespread support for teachers, with 73 percent of respondents saying that a teacher made a significant, positive impact in their lives, while 76 percent said they approved of teachers in their school districts. 

Fifty-nine percent of respondents said public school teachers are not compensated fairly, and 78 percent said teachers had to spend too much money of their own money on school supplies. 

The poll comes months after Oklahoma, Kentucky, West Virginia and Arizona witnessed widespread teachers strikes.