Dear Editor,
A recent Op-Ed by the (Putnam County) School Board Chairman (Steven Weiner, The Eatonton Messenger, Sept. 7, A5) depicted warnings and the pitfalls of Georgia adopting a school voucher system, giving parents the power to decide what education choices they deem best for their child.
It should not surprise anyone that those who are leaders in the school system want to keep the status quo. So, what is the status quo? Here in Putnam, it is a high cost per student (88th percentile in high cost/student/ year, in all of Georgia) and a failing grade in performance (Georgia College and Career Ready Performance Index, 60% for all PC schools, 54% for PCHS).
Everyone should be disappointed in the Op-Ed’s fear-mongering, that things will likely get even worse, and that we should send even more good money after bad to our school system.
Seems to us, that our leaders would be more correct to have taken the high road and given some inkling that they are taking positive, decisive steps to improve performance and efficiency with our hard-earned tax dollars, rather than recently limiting public comments at the school board meetings to 30 minutes.
There is a reason that school choice is being considered all across our nation and that more parents, rich or poor, are leaving public schools and choosing to home-school or send their children to Christian or private schools—to provide their children a better education and a brighter future than the public schools. No choice, or antichoice, means underprivileged students are locked into poor-performing school “prisons.”
It has been shown that competition improves everything, from planes, trains, automobiles, plumbers, colleges, universities, trade schools, and yes, even mousetraps. Yet the monopoly of public schools is seemingly not applicable to this proven paradigm and, according to the Op-Ed will not improve, but may decline even further.
We believe, that when required, schools will adapt and change for the better, and if not, or if they become retaliatory, it would be time to find new leadership. It’s time for some grown-up accountability and responsibility and real concern for our students and the hardship of ever-increasing school taxes. In closing, the School Choice Bill did pass the Senate and is still alive in the Legislature; it was not rejected as reported but tabled.
It most likely will have some changes prior to being voted on next year, but it is coming, and parents should support it. Public schools should, too, if they really care about students, parents, and families, and for goodness sake, public schools should start being more competitive now.
Sincerely, Dale C. Bills, Charles Trumbo Concerned Putnam County Citizens