INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — An effort to survey Indianapolis teachers about conditions inside their schools is drawing fire from educators worried that it’s an attempt to steer parents and students to private and charter schools.

The GreatSchools.org survey asks whether a school is safe, whether it encourages creativity and independent thinking, and how its staff communicates with parents. Supporters including state schools chief Tony Bennett say the goal is to go beyond test scores and give parents useful information.

Opponents of the survey tell The Indianapolis Star it’s designed to erode public schools already struggling with increased competition.

Jody Goldberg of GreatSchools says it’s common to meet resistance in communities where school choice has been an issue. She says the survey is valuable because schools shouldn’t be judged on test scores alone.

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