Recent education stories

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Vouchers will be the watchword in education policy this year. Already, Republican leaders are pushing two bills critics say open the door for taxpayer-funded support of private schools.

Gov. Sonny Perdue has promised he'll once again try for a constitutional amendment to allow state money to go to religious groups that serve the needy. Lobbyists who represent teachers, administrators and school board members firmly oppose the plan, unless the amendment specifically prohibits money from going to private schools in the form of tuition vouchers.

Senate President Pro Tem Eric Johnson (R-Savannah) also is promoting legislation that would create a state scholarship program for children with disabilities -- ranging from a speech impediment to autism -- so that they may attend private schools of their parents' choosing. Several education groups fear the program will drain funds from a public school system already struggling after years of cutbacks.

Among other top education issues, expect some push back on long-awaited class size reductions, the rules of which became more inflexible and difficult for principals to manage this year; a call for an increase in the mandatory school age from 16 to 17 or 18 in an effort to reduce the number of dropouts; and a possible reappearance of a bill to restore a traditional academic calendar by requiring schools to open in late August.

"A great many people ran for office saying that education was their highest priority," remarked Tim Callahan, spokesman for the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, one of the state's largest teachers groups. "Now we'll have to wait and see if that's really true."

-- Bridget Gutierrez