Public school systems could have more say how they spend their money if they agreed to meet certain standards set by the state.

And if they failed, they could be converted into charter schools or put under private management.

That would be the situation if the General Assembly approves Gov. Sonny Perdue's "Investing in Educational Excellence" legislation.

The Georgia House passed the bill 112-58 Wednesday after two hours of impassioned debate.

"This bill is the greatest no-brainer since the invention of earth," state Rep. Ed Lindsey (R-Atlanta) said, "if you want to transform our education system from its strait-jacketed bureaucratic form over substance past."

Lindsey said, "If you believe, as I do, that we can be better than 46th in the nation on SAT scores, that we can do better than the low 70s in graduation rate, then this bill is for you."

Democratic opponents used equally strong superlatives to lambaste the bill.

"For six years, we have starved education," House Minority Leader DuBose Porter (D-Dublin) said. "Under this bill, we will be deserting public education."

House Bill 1209 is the product of a three-year task force appointed by Perdue to find a new funding formula for public schools.

The bill passed Wednesday by the House does not include a funding proposal. Instead, it offers a mechanism for local public schools systems to seek greater flexibility in how to spend the money they already have.

Under the proposal, a school system could seek waivers from state regulations governing, among other things, teacher salaries, curriculum decisions and classroom size.

To do so, they would have to enter into five-year "performance contracts" with the state to meet their academic performance goals.

Those that failed to meet the goals could be put under the control of competing school systems, converted to charter schools or turned over to private management.

In a prepared statement, Perdue said the "IE2" plan gives "local school systems the flexibility to apply creative solutions while being held accountable for student achievement."

Critics view the bill as a back-door effort to privatize public education.

"We're actually very angry they moved forward with this piece of legislation," said Jeff Hubbard, president of the Georgia Association of Educators. "They passed a bill not knowing what the potential cost is to the state. We just don't think that's good fiscal management."

Supporters of the legislation said HB 1209 is just a first step: A funding plan will come later.