Education Will Define Georgia Governor's Race of 2010

The hottest topic in the upcoming race for Governor of Georgia will be Education, without a doubt. I have been following education in a blog for the past year. Parents are angry. Teachers are angry. The current Governor, Sonny Perdue, will probably go down in the history books as the worst thing that ever happened to public education in the history of the state-especially modern history.

And, although his term is nearing its end-he has less than a year before the new governor of Georgia is sworn in-he is remains relentless when it comes to education. More cuts, more slashes, more attempts to hijack the educational programs in this state seem to never end from the governor's office.

Eight years ago, when Perdue was elected, teachers were angry with then-governor Roy Barnes as what they viewed as a betrayal. Many went with Perdue. But then the economy faltered. First to go were many para-pro positions across the state that so helped with the one-on-one attention that so many of the youngsters around the state needed.

Things got worse and education continued to be on the chopping block. Kathy Cox, Superintendent of Georgia schools and an elected republican herself, found herself in the middle of a personal crisis with bankruptcy. What's more, is that she never disagreed with the Governor on any of his drastic cuts. She appears as a scammer to most educators. They don't trust her and they don't like her.

Now, she is up for re-election and he is not. She dared to say a few words a month or so ago, trying to defend her budget over at the Board of Education and the boys in the General Assembly were all over her. Since then, Perdue is trying to pass legislation where her position (along with some others) will be appointed by the next governor and not elected by the people of Georgia. Apparently, Perdue and some others feel that Georgia voters have no sense and cannot elect appropriately.

Now school systems across the state are furloughing teachers for days without pay. Most often, these are being taken instead of the integral days of planning and organizing for Georgia schoolchildren. Ultimately, with all these cuts, it is the children that suffer the most. Georgia's schoolchildren are in the hands of 'just don't give a care' politicians.

And then we have the whole big chaotic mess of cheating districts on the Georgia CRCT which is the standards based testing in answer to the federal No Child Left Behind Act. Because administrators and teachers knew that their kids did not score well-and would not make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP)-and this could affect their jobs-they changed answers on these tests.

Now, Perdue wants to pass laws that will judge teachers just on that-and their salaries will compensate on how well the students perform. So, my question is, don't you think this will encourage cheating? Won't teachers feel that they have nothing to lose, if they are in danger in losing their jobs?

I call the chaotic educational meltdown in Georgia the Great Georgia Education Crisis. This is a term I have coined several months ago on my blog. So what are the fourteen people who are running for governor proposing to do? Well, everything is rather vague. I suppose when more people begin sliding and jumping off tickets then we will begin to get down to the nitty gritty of it all.

Oh, and never fear...it will get gritty. For all the loveliness in the world, slow southern drawls and exceptional hospitality and sugary lemonade this summer, it is Georgia politics, after all, y'all...and there are still daggers behind slow smiles and humid serenades. And it does get so angrily hot in the summer-politics are no exception, and certainly never has the Governor's race been genteel.

Hold onto your hats, y'all, it will absolutely be an entertaining, bumpy ride.