A plurality of voters believes that a renewed focus on math, science, reading, and social studies is the best way to enhance education in the U.S., according to a new poll.

The Center Square’s Voter’s Voice Poll, conducted by Noble Predictive Insights, found that 39% of likely voters indicated that concentrating on these core subjects would “do the most to improve public education in America.” Paying teachers more ranked second in importance, the outlet reported.

According to David Byler, chief of research at Noble Predictive Insights, the poll was conducted to determine what voters believe is the top factor that would help improve the educational system.

“And honestly, the results were very clear: They think schools should focus on core subject areas,” Byler told the outlet. “You see some level of support for this across all kinds of different demographics where people want their kids to be able to do math, read, write, and understand the world.” He added: “That’s what they want out of schools.”

The poll reveals that, despite other proposed reforms such as shortening summer break, reducing class sizes, or emphasizing social and emotional skills, 39% of voters chose to prioritize a focus on the core subjects.

“The second one is ‘pay teachers more,’” Byler said. “This is no surprise to me. Teachers are doing a really hard job, and they don’t get paid a lot. And people think that they should be paid more. It’s pretty simple.”

“You see some partisan divide on this,” Byler said. “Democrats are about twice as likely to say this is the number one reform than Republicans.”

Reducing classroom sizes and offering alternatives to public schools were the next most suggested measures; however, Byler noted that the majority of Americans support a focus on core subjects and increasing teacher pay.

“You have something like six in 10 Americans saying this is their preferred solution,” Byler told The Center Square. “So in some ways, if you’re just asking the public what they want, the answer is straightforward: Spend more time on the key subjects and more money on teachers.”