The Los Angeles Times (4/25, Watanabe) reports that according to a new survey by the Public Policy Institute of California, “in a broad consensus across racial, political and economic lines,” most residents of the state support the Common Core Standards and the state’s new need-based school funding formula. The article also notes that there is strong support in the poll for universal pre-K. The Times contrasts the strong support for the Common Core Standards with more ambivalent opinions--and anti-Common Core legislation--in other states.

The San Jose (CA) Mercury News (4/25, Noguchi) reports that the poll shows that “Californians across party lines overwhelmingly support” the Common Core, contrasting this with “the political uproar and division elsewhere in the country.” The survey showed that in California, “72 percent of Democrats and 60 percent of Republicans favor the new standards.” The article describes demographic fluctuations in support for the Common Core and quotes Public Policy Institute of California CEO Mark Baldassare saying, “Given all the dramatic changes taking place in both curriculum and funding of our schools, it was surprising to find such strong support.” The article notes that Baldassare said that “the results reflect Californians’ dissatisfaction with the status quo.” The Sacramento (CA) Bee (4/23) and Reuters (4/25) also cover this story.