Surveys often find most Americans favor increasing federal spending on education and generally support raising taxes to improve the nation’s public schools. However, these findings may not be as straightforward as they initially appear. While there is broad support for certain proposals to improve education, support often declines when the question refers to increasing taxes to fund the improvements. Other questions show that rather than a lack of funding, half of Americans say the problems in education have more to do with a lack of parental involvement or a lack of discipline. And six in 10 Americans say the average spent per pupil, as estimated by the Department of Education, “seems like enough” to provide an adequate education. However, that’s not to say Americans are willing to decrease funding earmarked for public schools. As one poll shows, three-quarters of parents say they would not favor taking money from schools classified as failing. Polls suggesting public support for higher taxes or more spending on education should be reported cautiously.