(MONEY Magazine) – President Clinton's decision to send his daughter Chelsea to the $10,400-a- year Sidwell Friends private school in Washington, D.C. raised some eyebrows -- and questions about his commitment to the public education system. After all, during the election campaign he had stressed that she attended public schools as a sign of his dedication to a ''real education reform package.'' There is, of course, some debate about what any President can achieve. Authority over education is divided among 50 state systems, 15,367 school districts and 110,000 schools -- 26,800 of them private and accommodating 11% of the total school population of 46.2 million. But even though the federal government provides only 6.2% of the total $241 billion spent on U.S. elementary and high schools, down from 9.2% in 1980, the Clinton Administration has said it will help set national goals for better schools. Worldwide testing shows U.S. students trailing Japan and other nations in scholastic achievement. Yet costs here keep rising. What has gone wrong? What are the solutions? Circle your responses, and feel free to offer your own ideas. Please return the poll to us either by fax (212-522-0119) or mail (MONEY March Poll, Room 32-38, Time & Life Building, Rockefeller Center, New York, N.Y. 10020).

All nine of these questions apply to education below the college level:

1. Do your children go to private school or public school? a) Private b) Public c) Parochial d) Other

2. What concerns you most about public schools? (Circle as many as you wish.) a) Overcrowding b) Low educational standards c) Physical safety of students d) Ethnic balance e) Busing f) Parents' lack of interest g) Mismanagement of school funds h) Low teacher pay i) High teacher pay j) Badly trained teachers k) Shortage of teachers l) Other

3. Should parents get vouchers equal to the amount of money their local public school district spends on each child and be able to use the vouchers either for public school or to pay part of the cost of private or parochial school? a) Yes b) No

4. If you have children in public school, how do you rate their education? a) Excellent b) Good c) Fair d) Poor

5. If you have children in private or parochial school, how do you rate their education? a) Excellent b) Good c) Fair d) Poor

6. Should the federal government alter its funding of public education? a) Increase it b) Decrease it

7. Should states ensure that the education budget per pupil in all districts equals the wealthiest districts'? a) Yes b) No

8. Should students be required to pass standardized national tests before moving to a higher grade? a) Yes b) No

9. Should teachers have to pass national competency tests every five years? a) Yes b) No

OPTIONAL DEMOGRAPHIC INFORMATION

Name , Your city and state Home or business phone number Employed? Yes No Did you graduate from college? Yes No Children of elementary or secondary school age? 1 2 3 4 More Household income: Under $80,000 Over $80,000 How would you describe where you live? Urban Suburban Rural