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Amid high-profile debates over a range of K-12 school policies from mask mandates to the teaching of race-related issues a declining share of Republicans in the United States say they are confident in public school principals to act in the best interests of the public.

Around half of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents (52%) say they have a great deal or fair amount of confidence in K-12 public school principals to act in the publics best interests, according to a Pew Research Center survey conducted in December 2021. Nearly as many (47%) say they have not too much or no confidence at all in principals.

In April 2020, shortly after the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., Republicans attitudes about public school principals were much more positive. At the time, around eight-in-ten Republicans (79%) said they had a great deal or fair amount of confidence in principals to act in the best interests of the public, while 20% said they had not too much or no confidence.

This Pew Research Center analysis examines changing public attitudes about K-12 principals in the United States. It is based primarily on a survey of 14,497 U.S. adults conducted from Nov. 30 to Dec. 12, 2021. Everyone who took part in the survey is a member of the Centers American Trends Panel (ATP), an online survey panel that is recruited through national, random sampling of residential addresses. This way nearly all U.S. adults have a chance of selection. The survey is weighted to be representative of the U.S. adult population by gender, race, ethnicity, partisan affiliation, education and other categories. Read more about the ATPs methodology.

Here is the survey question used for this analysis, along with responses, and the surveys methodology.

Other parts of this analysis are based on additional surveys by Pew Research Center and The Washington Post/ABC News. Links to these surveys including their field dates, sample sizes and methodologies are included in the text of the post.

Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents have also become less likely to express confidence in school principals during the pandemic, but the drop-off has not been nearly as steep as among Republicans and a large majority of Democrats still voice confidence. As of December 2021, around three-quarters of Democrats (76%) say they have a great deal or fair amount of confidence in principals, down from 87% in April 2020.

Overall, 64% of U.S. adults say they have a great deal or fair amount of confidence in K-12 principals to act in the best interests of the public, down from 83% in April 2020. Public confidence in a number of other societal groups and institutions has also waned during the pandemic, with especially notable decreases among Republicans.

GOP criticism of public schools is not limited to principals, a July 2021 Center survey found. In that survey, a majority of Republicans (57%) said K-12 public schools overall were having a negative effect on the way things were going in the country. Around three-quarters of Democrats (77%) said K-12 schools were having a positive effect. That survey, too, found growing GOP negativity about a range of societal institutions, including banks and financial institutions, large corporations, tech companies and labor unions.

So whats driving the growing partisan polarization around K-12 schools? Surveys by the Center and other polling organizations indicate that pandemic-related changes to school policies, as well as recent debates over school curriculums, may be playing a role.

In March 2020, when the coronavirus outbreak first struck the U.S., the vast majority of Republicans (85%) and Democrats (94%) said closing K-12 schools was a necessary step. But as the pandemic has continued, partisan disagreements about school closures have become more pointed.

In a survey this past January when the omicron variant was spreading rapidly and some schools were again closing their doors Republican K-12 parents were much more likely than Democratic parents (55% vs. 26%) to favor schools providing in-person only instruction. Democratic parents were more likely than Republican ones (64% vs. 39%) to favor a mix of in-person and online instruction.

In the same survey, Republican and Democratic parents also differed over the factors that should be given a lot of consideration when deciding whether to keep K-12 schools open for in-person instruction. GOP parents were more likely than Democratic parents to say a lot of consideration should be given to students academic progress and their emotional well-being, while Democratic parents were more likely than Republicans to say a lot of consideration should be given to the risks that the coronavirus posed to students and teachers.

Mask mandates have also been a flashpoint in some school districts. While Pew Research Center has not recently polled about mask mandates in schools, there have long been wide partisan divides in views of masking more generally. This past January, Republicans were 40 percentage points less likely than Democrats (39% vs. 79%) to say they had worn a mask or face covering in stores and other businesses all or most of the time in the prior month.

Debates over school curriculums may be having an effect on Republicans satisfaction with public schools as well.

In a Washington Post/ABC News survey in November 2021, seven-in-ten Republicans and Republican-leaning independents compared with around a quarter of Democrats and Democratic leaners (26%) said parents should have a lot of say in what their childs school teaches. Democrats were about twice as likely as Republicans (45% vs. 21%) to say parents should have some say in what their childs school teaches.

While partisan differences over K-12 schools may have grown wider during the pandemic, Republicans and Democrats had disagreements over some aspects of public schooling well before the pandemic. In a May 2019 survey by the Center, Republicans were less likely than Democrats to say K-12 schools were open to a wide range of opinions and viewpoints. Around half of Republicans (49%) said K-12 schools were very or somewhat open in this regard, compared with around seven-in-ten Democrats (71%).

Other survey questions related to K-12 schools have found no change in attitudes during the pandemic. In an October 2021 Center survey, only around one-in-five adults (22%) said the quality of K-12 education in the public schools was a major problem in their local community, unchanged from 2018. In that survey, Republicans were slightly less likely than Democrats (19% vs. 23%) to say the quality of K-12 education was a major problem where they live.

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Republicans' confidence in K-12 principals has fallen sharply during the pandemic - Pew Research Center

JEFFERSON CITY With seven Republicans comprising a crowded primary across the aisle, a Democrat has filed to run for Congress in southwest Missouri.

John Woodman, who runs a small technical support business and was once a Christian missionary, isn't a lifetime member of the party, he said in a Tuesday interview. He was a Republican for 35 years until he took on a new personal project in 2016, spending the next five years developing a learning course called "How We Fix America."

"I would actually encourage people not just to vote for me, but to leave the Republican Party and join the Democratic Party, because the Republican Party has not been serving us well," Woodman said. "It's not been serving us well in southwest Missouri and it's not been serving us well nationally."

He argues that the GOP has no plan to address what he views as the United States' three major issues a "warped economy," a "rigged political system" and "the lack of a shared vision that's based on truth."

"A lot of this is fed by misinformation and by demagoguery, and I don't see Republicans working seriously to solve this issue," Woodman said. "In fact, in some instances, Republicans are making this worse."

Woodman, who has lived in Springfield for 20 years,said he believes the Democratic Party is the best umbrella under which to focus on improving health care, education and the climate.

He pushed back on many Republicans' portrayals of the party as "socialist" or "radical," arguing that Democratic administrations "have been much better for the economy" and for job creation.

7th district race: Who's running for U.S. Senate, House in Missouri? Candidates file to run in 2022 elections

The only Democrat to announce for the seat thus far, Woodman will face improbable odds in southwest Missouri's 7th district. U.S. Rep. Billy Long, who is vacating the seat after holding it since 2010, won re-election in 2020 with almost 70 percent of the vote.

Across the aisle is a crowded GOP field including former state Sen. Jay Wasson, Sens. Eric Burlison and Mike Moon, Dr. Sam Alexander, Alex Bryant, Audrey Richards and Paul Walker.

Galen Bacharier covers Missouri politics & government for the News-Leader. Contact him at gbacharier@news-leader.com,(573) 219-7440 or on Twitter @galenbacharier.

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Democrat running for Congress in southwest MO left the GOP and wants others to join him - News-Leader

California has not elected a Republican to statewide office since 2006, but Lanhee Chen thinks this might be the year that one of the countrys bluest states shows a hint of red.

Chen, 43, is seeking to become controller, effectively the states chief financial officer. Hes running to succeed the incumbent, Betty Yee, a Democrat who is term limited.

The first round of voting in Californias all-parties primary system is in June, and the general election, when Chen and a Democrat would square off, is in November. The state has not elected a Republican controller since the 1970s.

While this is his first run for public office, Chen, a Stanford University professor, is no stranger to the political fray. He was the policy director for Mitt Romneys 2012 presidential bid and worked in the administration of President George W. Bush.

In an interview, he discussed why he is running, why he believes he could win and his partys two most recent presidential standard bearers. Here are edited excerpts from our conversation.

Why run for controller instead of going big and running for governor, or starting local at the school board or City Council?

Its a tremendously valuable platform for somebody whos looking to bring change in terms of how the state runs its business the ability to audit any agency, you really can get in there and fix things. And Im about diagnosing the problems our state faces. And for me, the problems the state faces are primarily fiscal in nature. So this office to me is a great fit for the things I want to do and how I think we can fix the state, even if its not the most glamorous office.

What are the biggest challenges California is facing?

Cost of living is a big one no one can afford a house. And if they can, theyre saving up for decades to do it. The homelessness problem, which is related to quality of life and the general environment, has gotten worse in even the time Ive lived out there since coming home in 2013. Public safety concerns are very real, and those have become much more public with the smash-and-grab robberies over the summer.

California Republicans have historically won at moments of disorder. But can you still count on backlash politics in these polarized times, when people tend to stick with their party no matter the issue?

This has been something thats been building for a long time. If you had asked me the same question two or four years ago, the answer may have been no. I think now the situation has become so urgent. Look at how many recall elections were having, whether for governor or for school board and district attorney in San Francisco. The level of reaction to what were seeing goes beyond party, it goes beyond ideology it goes to the experiences people have. I think that anger, that frustration, is palpable. I hear it from Democrats, I hear it from independents and from Republicans. So that leads me to believe, yeah, this can transcend the partisan polarization weve seen.

How do you diagnose your partys problems in California? Why cant Republicans even compete statewide?

Party leadership in California has generally been focused on winning targeted state legislative and congressional races. You cant fault them for that rationale, but the problem is then you have no statewide voter contact infrastructure. Thats No. 1.

No. 2: There havent been candidates capable of putting together and articulating the kind of message and vision thats appealing broadly to Californians.

Lets say youre campaigning at a farmers market in, say, Santa Barbara or Monterey, and a voter approaches you and seems to like you. But theyre apprehensive about voting for the Trump Party. What do you tell them?

I think its really important to understand where Im coming from and why I think its important to have somebody whos got a different partisan alignment from the rest of people in state government. So start with the notion that checks and balances are important. But then I do move to talk about the Republican Party that I know and the kind of Republican Party I believe we can have again, centered around ideas like responsibility and accountability. At some point were going to have to move past individual personalities, and I dont know when that point will be.

So why not just run as an independent?

On the practical side, if youre not worth several billions of dollars, youre not going to be able to build that base thats required. But theres a more important point. I think authenticity counts for a lot in politics, and Ive been a Republican my whole life. Ive never been registered as anything else, and I think its important to be yourself.

As liberal as it is, California has millions of dedicated Trump supporters. How do you balance appealing to the political middle without alienating MAGA folks?

What Gov. Glenn Youngkin did successfully in Virginia: You focus on state issues and address the problems that are right before us. If you dont focus on those, you risk not only not doing the job, but talking about things that arent that relevant to the day-to-day lives of people in your state.

Lets say you get two phone calls: The first is from Mitt Romney, and the second is from Donald Trump. Both want to come to California to campaign for you. What do you tell them?

I would just say that Im doing my own thing. Now I have to say this: Obviously I have great respect and admiration for Mitt Romney. There are very few things I wouldnt do for him.

Jonathan Martin is a national political correspondent for The New York Times.

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA

CENTRAL CALIFORNIA

Weather warning: Snow is expected through Wednesday in high elevation areas across large swaths of Central California, including Yosemite Valley and the Grapevine.

Hiking deaths: The phone records from a family who died while hiking near the Merced River last summer reveal texts and calls pleading for help, The Associated Press reports.

NORTHERN CALIFORNIA

A neighborhood nuisance: A massive black bear known as Hank the Tank has broken into at least 28 homes in search of food in South Lake Tahoe.

Missing women: The Yurok Tribe issued an emergency declaration after a spate of Indigenous women have been killed or gone missing along the Northern California Coast, The Associated Press reports.

$1.8 million homes in California, Maine and New Mexico.

Todays travel tip comes from Al Evers, who recommends Reinhardt Redwood Regional Park in the Bay Area:

A hidden redwood forest lies off Redwood Road just a few miles over the ridge from downtown Oakland. The forests peaceful groves give little evidence of the parks bustling past in the mid-1800s the area was the scene of extensive logging to supply building materials for the San Francisco Bay Area. The logging era has long since passed, and a stately forest of 150-foot coast redwoods has replaced those cut down.

Tell us about your favorite places to visit in California. Email your suggestions to CAtoday@nytimes.com. Well be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter.

A new book on the history of PayPal and the entrepreneurs who shaped Silicon Valley.

This week, a waterfall in Yosemite National Park is expected to transform for a few minutes at sunset into a ribbon of bright, fiery orange.

With sufficient rainfall and clear skies, Horsetail Falls which cascades down the east side of El Capitan can become a firefall for a few weeks each year in late February.

The angle of the light during sunset can make the stream of water glow and look like its on fire, a park spokeswoman said.

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Why Republican Lanhee Chen Thinks He Can Win in California - The New York Times

Speaker of the Oklahoma House, Rep. Charles McCall, R-Atoka, speaks on the House floor, Tuesday, ... [+] Jan. 5, 2021, in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)

Democratic opposition to school choice is well known. It is stated right in the partys platform, Democrats oppose private school vouchers and other policies that divert taxpayer-funded resources away from the public school system. But in several deep red states this spring, it is Republicans blocking school choice, not Democrats.

In Oklahoma, Governor Kevin Stitt led the legislative portion of his state of the state address by saying, We know education is not one-size-fits-all, and I pledge to support any legislation that gives parents more school choice, because in Oklahoma, we need to fund students, not systems! SB 1647, mentioned by the governor by name in his speech, would create a universal education savings account program. It has a very broad set of eligible expenses for students participating in the program, crucially including transportation costs to help students access the learning opportunities that their funds make available.

While the Senate Pro Tempore Greg Treat is championing the program, Oklahoma Speaker of the House Charles McCall stated that he did not even plan to give the bill a hearing. Note, he is not signaling that he would not whip votes for it or that he would vote against it. He doesnt even want to give the bill a hearing. Even though the Oklahoma house has 82 Republicans and only 19 Democrats, the bill appears to be on life support.

In Utah, HB 331 has been introduced to create the Hope Scholarship Program. It would create an education savings account program for eligible students. It offers an interesting wrinkle, though. While all students are eligible to participate, funding varies based parental income. For students from families earning less than 200% of the federal poverty line, their education savings account will get twice their weighted state per pupil funding. For those between 200% and 370%, they will get 1.5 times the per pupil amount. Those from families earning between 370% and 555% will get the standard per pupil funding, and those from families making more than 555% of the federal poverty line will get 75%.

In a state with a house comprised of 58 Republicans and 17 Democrats, a senate with 23 Republicans and 6 Democrats, and Republicans occupying both the governorship and the lieutenant governorship, this would appear to be a slam dunk. It is not. The governor, Spencer Cox, told reporters that he would veto the bill. His logic was confusing. After saying he was all in on vouchers, he said that Utah had a long way to go before we get there. Does all in mean something else in Utah?

There is a variation on the theme in Georgia. Speaker of the House David Ralston has declared dead a promising school choice proposal after being purportedly scandalized by the political content of a mailer backers of the bill circulated in several of his caucus constituencies. But politically fiery mailers are the norm, not the exception, and if that is all it takes to scupper a bill, it is hard to believe the speaker was really ever on board in the first place. Seems like convenient cover for what he already wanted to do.

The Republican party platform directly states, We especially support the innovative financingmechanisms that make options available to all children: education savings accounts(ESAs), vouchers, and tuition tax credits. In fact, it is in a section titled Choice in Education. The Oklahoma, Utah, and Georgia platforms unequivocally support for school choice, as well.

It is popular to look to Democratic politicians and their major funders like teacher and administrator unions and blame them for school choice bills stalling. In many cases, that is true. In more purple states where margins are thin, or in blue states where Democrats decide what bills become laws, school choice faces major obstacles. Now, it shouldnt, because according to our polling 72% of Democrats support education savings accounts, 68% support charter schools, and 65% support vouchers, but that is the way the cookie crumbles.

Oklahoma and Utah are not blue. They arent purple. They are deep red. And Georgia, while perhaps trending purple, still has a Republican advantage of 103 to 76 in the house and 34 to 22 in the senate. In states with such margins, there are only members of one party that can stop school choice. The Republican Party. The party of which, according to our polling, 65% of members support education savings accounts, 70% support charter schools, and 67% support vouchers. The party that has codified support for school choice in its platforms. The party where a minority viewpoint, at odds with its stated goals and the preferences of its membership, has been able to take hold.

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Will It Be Republicans Who Stop School Choice In 2022? - Forbes

Here we go again. Another Republican pretending to be a badass as they brandish a rifle in an anti-Democrat video.

This week, it's JR Majewski, an Ohio Republican candidate for Congress who attended the Jan. 6 Stop the Steal rally. In the video, he shows images of AOC, Ilhan Omar, Colin Kaepernick, and President Joe Biden, and then walks toward the camera with a rifle as he says he will "do whatever it takes to return this country back to its former glory." And then he cocks his gun.

Other videos threatening Democrats with guns include those by Michael Flynn, Lauren Boebert, and Arizona Senate candidate Jim Lamon and if you count swords, we can add Paul Gosar's bizarre video to the list, in which he fatally slashes a titan with AOC's head attached.

The theme might seem old and unimaginative at this point, but don't be fooled it's the repeated signaling they are going for.

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Here's yet another gun-toting Republican in an anti-Democrat ad who "will do whatever it takes" - Boing Boing