Column 41 for May 21, 2000

Two more weeks and a couple wake-ups and we can put this school year in the bank. It’s been an interesting year, to be sure! Our fine governor comes out with a sweeping educational reform package and proceeds to intimidate, and finally force-feed it down the throats of our legislators. Does he really keep computer files on folks so that he can insure they receive payback if they cross him? I don’t doubt it. Even the state school superintendent seems to indicate that portions of the new law are virtually unworkable. What did the governor say about this new plan not requiring any tax increase? Say what? That was just a couple months ago, wasn’t it? And already the local board is faced with raising revenue to meet the new demands… Maybe we should have a few more bake sales, a few more fundraisers… How about it, parents?

I wonder sometimes if this new "plan" might be more "show" than "go", trying to show the public here and leaders in the other states how much Georgia is doing to improve education, while doing nothing but stirring the pot, repositioning the blame for failure around a little, and ending up with the same results. It’s crossed my mind too, that our governor might believe a good offense is the best defense. This new plan could be his way to shift our attention and blame off our elected officials and bureaucrats and systematically place blame locally. He seems to be increasing the size of the new "unblameable" bureaucracy with his every move.

It would be such a breath of fresh air if our elected leaders would actually listen to the teachers and act on our suggestions instead of just paying us lip service!

Well, the policies are in place and I know we’ll deal with them as best we can this next year, hopefully to our students best advantage. I guess my biggest personal fear is that I will be forced to adjust my teaching, putting such things as trying to inspire student inquiry and sharing problem solving skills on the back burner, while spending all my time "teaching to the test." Our governor’s made it clear that standardized test scores are the only things that matter…

Have some of you wondered like I have that this whole new "reform" deal will be completely changed around again when the next General Assembly meets? Keep stirring that pot! Our legislators (including some new faces) will surely attempt to fix what they guaranteed wasn’t broken this year! Remember you heard it here first. tomiswho@mindspring.com