I still feel betrayed by the Governor and our legislators in voting for the current "education reform" bill.

Some of you know how long and hard teachers in Georgia worked to gain what few rights they do have. As for the classroom, most all Georgia teachers bust their buns to provide the best possible education for our students, within the confines of what they have to work with. It really hurts for them to lose ground in what seems to me to be a patchwork panic to improve standardized test scores so we don't look so bad nationally. With passage of this bill, our state leaders can say, "at least we're doing something." Whoopee.

I believe most of you know our problem here in Georgia is NOT bad teachers. The problems lie in leadership, distrust of leadership, available funding (taxpayer dollar dedication to quality education?), and dealing with classrooms full of students arriving without any intrinsic or family motivation.

When I talk with my teacher friends from more progressive states, they are usually dumbfounded to find how little teachers in Georgia are paid and what few rights and benefits are available for them. Their states rank much higher in measurable student performance too...

The last straw to me was when Governor Barnes had the pompous audacity to tell our State Senate that if they voted against his bill, they were against quality education. So now our governor has "papal inerrancy?"

I don't always buy the Georgia Association of Educators line, but I totally agreed when they said, "We deserve a better bill." Not just the teachers, but the students deserve a better bill!

Governor Barnes outlook and attitude remind me of Dr. Watson in a short Sherlock Holmes story…

Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson went on a camping trip. After a good meal and a bottle of wine, they lay down for the night and went to sleep. Some hours later, Holmes awoke and nudged his faithful friend.

"Watson, look up and tell me what you see."

Watson replied, "I see millions and millions of stars."

"What does that tell you?"

Watson pondered for a minute. "Astronomically, it tells me that there are millions of galaxies and potentially billions of planets. Astrologically, I observe that Saturn is in Leo. Horologically, I deduce that the time is approximately a quarter past three. Theologically, I can see that God is all-powerful and that we are small and insignificant. Meteorologically, I suspect that we will have a beautiful day tomorrow. Why, what does it tell YOU?"

Holmes was silent for a minute, then spoke. "Watson, you idiot. Some jerk has stolen our tent."

Enough said. tomiswho@mindspring.com