Maurice Carroll, Director,

Quinnipiac University Polling

Institute
(203) 582-5334

Rubenstein Associates, Inc.

Public Relations
Contact: Pat Smith
FOR RELEASE: (212) 843-
FEBRUARY 24, 2011

BASE TEACHER FIRINGS ON MERIT, NEW YORKERS SAY 7-1,

QUINNIPIAC UNIVERSITY POLL FINDS;
VOTERS LIKE TEACHERS BUT NOT THEIR UNIONS
If school systems must lay off teachers, the layoffs should be based on performance, not
seniority, New York State voters say 85 – 12 percent in a Quinnipiac University poll released
today.
Support for performance-based layoffs is strong among all groups, including 75 – 20
percent among voters in households with a union member, the independent Quinnipiac (KWIN-
uh-pe-ack) University poll finds. Voters with children in public school back performance-based
layoffs 90 – 7 percent.
By a 50 – 22 percent margin, New York State voters have a favorable opinion of public
school teachers, with 25 percent who haven’t heard enough about them to form an opinion.
Parents of public school students have a 60 – 22 percent favorable opinion.
But voters say 51 – 39 percent that teachers’ unions play a negative rather than a positive
role in improving the state’s educational system. Public school parents say 56 – 37 percent that
teachers’ unions play a negative role while voters in union households say 50 – 44 percent that
teachers’ unions play a positive role.
“By a huge majority, voters from every group oppose LIFO – last-in-first-out,” said
Maurice Carroll, director of the Quinnipiac University Polling Institute. “Voters, especially
voters with kids in public school, want to keep the best teachers on the job, and to heck with
seniority.
“All those ads by the teachers’ union may not be working exactly as planned: New
Yorkers like the people who teach their kids, but they don’t like the union that placed the ads.”
 -more-

Quinnipiac University Poll/February 24, 2010 – page 2

“And voters reject by almost 2-1 margins some fundamental pillars of teacher contracts:
They support 64 – 33 percent merit pay for outstanding teachers and they say 62 – 33 percent it
should be easier to fire bad teachers,” Carroll added.
A total of 63 percent of New York State voters are “very concerned” or “somewhat
concerned” that Albany’s focus on the state budget deficit might prevent passage of ethics
reform legislation. This concern is shared by all groups in all areas of the state.
Similarly, a total of 56 percent of voters are “very concerned” of “somewhat concerned”
that focus on the state budget might prevent passage of non-partisan redistricting legislation.
Again concern is shared by all groups and regions.
“Will focus on the budget imperil the chances of changes in ethics rules? Voters are
worried,” Carroll said. “They’re worried, too, about the chances of non-partisan legislative and
congressional re-districting.”
Same-Sex Marriage
New York State voters support 54 – 39 percent legislation that would allow same-sex
couples to marry. This compares to 56 – 37 percent support in a January 27 Quinnipiac
University poll.
In today’s survey, same-sex marriage wins 68 – 23 percent support among Democrats
and 56 – 38 percent support among independent voters. Republicans oppose the measure
65 – 31 percent. The measure wins support among upstate, suburban and New York City voters
by similar margins. Men support it 52 – 43 percent while women support it 56 – 35 percent.
Support for same-sex marriage is:
• 62 – 35 percent among voters 18 to 34 years old;
• 64 – 29 percent among voters 35 to 49 years old;
• 52 – 42 percent among voters 50 to 64 years old;
• Voters over 65 are opposed 48 – 42 percent.
“Everyone supports same-sex marriage, except Republicans and senior citizens,” Carroll
said.
From February 15 – 21, Quinnipiac University surveyed 1,457 registered voters with a
margin of error of +/- 2.6 percentage points. Live interviewers call land lines and cell phones.
The Quinnipiac University Poll, directed by Douglas Schwartz, Ph.D., conducts public
opinion surveys in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Florida, Ohio and the
nation as a public service and for research.
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For more data or RSS feed– http://www.quinnipiac.edu/polling.xml, call (203) 582-5201, or
follow us on Twitter.

3
27. How concerned are you that the state government's focus on the budget deficit might
prevent passage of ethics reform legislation? Very concerned, somewhat concerned, not too
concerned, or not concerned at all?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHolds

Very concerned 19% 15% 20% 21% 20% 19% 22%

Smwht concerned 44 42 46 44 39 49 44
Not too concerned 20 23 18 21 25 15 20
Not at all concerned 10 13 10 9 12 8 10
DK/NA 6 7 7 5 5 8 3

28. How concerned are you that the state government's focus on the budget deficit might
prevent passage of non-partisan redistricting legislation? Very concerned, somewhat
concerned, not too concerned, or not concerned at all?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHolds

Very concerned 17% 15% 16% 16% 19% 15% 20%

Smwht concerned 39 38 41 38 36 41 35
Not too concerned 23 19 24 24 23 22 24
Not at all concerned 15 23 11 14 17 13 17
DK/NA 7 5 8 8 5 9 4

29. Is your opinion of New York State's public school teachers favorable, unfavorable, or
haven't you heard enough about them?
Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHolds

Favorable 50% 42% 57% 51% 50% 50% 60%

Unfavorable 22 32 16 20 27 18 18
Hvn't hrd enough 25 24 25 26 21 28 19
REFUSED 3 2 3 3 2 3 2

HvKids
UpStat NYC Sub PubSch

Favorable 50% 51% 49% 60%

Unfavorable 23 20 25 22
Hvn't hrd enough 25 25 24 16
REFUSED 2 4 2 2

30. Generally speaking, do you believe the teachers' unions are playing a positive or a
negative role in improving New York State's educational system?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHolds

Positive 39% 24% 55% 33% 38% 41% 50%

Negative 51 71 34 56 57 46 44
DK/NA 10 6 11 10 5 13 7

HvKids
UpStat NYC Sub PubSch

Positive 33% 50% 34% 37%

Negative 57 38 61 56
DK/NA 10 12 5 7
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TREND: Generally speaking, do you believe the teachers' unions are playing a positive or
a negative role in improving New York State's educational system?

Feb 24 Apr 15
2011 2004

Positive 39 48
Negative 51 35
DK/NA 10 17

31. Some people say that public school teachers who do an outstanding job should be
rewarded with additional pay - so called merit pay. Do you think this is a good idea or a
bad idea?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHolds

Good idea 64% 63% 64% 65% 68% 61% 62%

Bad idea 33 35 33 33 30 36 37
DK/NA 3 3 4 2 2 3 2

HvKids
UpStat NYC Sub PubSch

Good idea 60% 69% 64% 64%

Bad idea 38 28 32 34
DK/NA 2 3 4 2

32. Some people have suggested that firing public school teachers should be made easier.
Do you think this is a good idea or a bad idea?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHolds

Good idea 62% 73% 51% 68% 64% 60% 57%

Bad idea 33 25 43 29 33 34 38
DK/NA 5 2 5 4 3 6 5

HvKids
UpStat NYC Sub PubSch

Good idea 67% 53% 70% 69%

Bad idea 28 43 27 27
DK/NA 5 4 4 4

5
33. If public school administrators need to lay off teachers, do you think they should
lay off teachers based on their performance or based on seniority?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHolds

Seniority 12% 11% 14% 9% 14% 10% 20%

Performance 85 85 81 88 84 86 75
DK/NA 4 3 5 3 3 5 5

HvKids
UpStat NYC Sub PubSch

Seniority 13% 11% 11% 7%

Performance 85 85 83 90
DK/NA 2 4 5 3

34. Would you support or oppose a law that would allow same-sex couples to get married?

Union
Tot Rep Dem Ind Men Wom HsHolds

Support 54% 31% 68% 56% 52% 56% 56%

Oppose 39 65 23 38 43 35 37
DK/NA 7 4 9 6 5 9 7

UpStat NYC Sub 18-34 35-49 50-64 65+

Support 53% 53% 57% 62% 64% 52% 42%

Oppose 41 38 37 35 29 42 48
DK/NA 6 8 6 3 7 7 10

TREND: Would you support or oppose a law that would allow same-sex couples to get married?

Feb 24 Jan 27 Dec 16 Jun 23 May 14 Apr 15

2011 2011 2009 2009 2009 2004

Support 54 56 47 51 46 37
Oppose 39 37 46 41 46 55
DK/NA 7 7 7 8 8 8