Column 43 for June 11, 2000

Why do we teachers sometimes have difficulty in getting students to follow simple instructions? Graduation exercises provide a good clue to the answer. You’ve been there. You’ve heard the speaker say "please hold your applause until all the names have been called" or something to that effect, a very simple and easily followed instruction. And yet there are those in the audience, apparently overcome with the rapture of the moment, who must delay the ceremony by their unprompted hand clapping. Even worse, there are those who disrupt the dignity of graduation by hooting and hollering and shouting such phrases as "way to go Billy Joe Jim Bob!" as if they were at a big time wrasslin’ match instead of a graduation. Geesh. The nuts sure don’t fall far from the trees, do they?

I Told You So, part one: I’m sure you have seen the news recently that our local school system will be looking for a tax increase to handle provisions of Governor Barnes "education reform" package. Not just our local system, but schools statewide are beginning to look for the additional funds they will need. In my column of February 20^th, I stated, "You folks need to really take a close look at the fiscal impact this bills changes will have on us locally. Many of the changes will require funding from local tax money. Does this mean my local school taxes might go up? Duh. You can bet the farm on it."

Where were you? Were we told the truth about this "education reform?" Did you call State Representative Stallings and encourage him to vote against the bill? I guess not, so now we’ll have to pay the piper. At least until we can vote again…

I Told You So, part two: In my March 5^th column, I said, "With passage of this bill, our state leaders can say, "at least we're doing something." Whoopee." In the May 21^st column I continued, "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."

Well, it seems that in a speech in Jessup on May 30^th, according to Tom Baxter of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, that our Governor (lame-duck?) Barnes recalled FDR’s admonition to do something above all, even if it doesn’t work and you have to try something else. Mr. Baxter continued, "In advance of what may not work in this round of educational reform and the second that awaits the Legislature next year, he is intent on staking out his claim as a governor who at least did something."

Why didn’t we do anything when we knew it wasn’t right? Why did our local State Representatives buy into such a plan? Politics as usual in Georgia I guess….

Peace. tomiswho@mindspring.com