A sharpening fight over education funding at heart of governor’s race

Democrat Jason Carter promises to significantly boost classroom funding should he win November’s gubernatorial election. Gov. Nathan Deal vows to reward the state’s most effective teachers and redirect school money to where its most needed if he’s granted a second term.

Their proposals would cost millions of dollars, and to nobody’s surprise, neither says he would support new taxes to pay for the programs. Instead, the two are trotting out election-year standards, saying they can get better classroom results by cutting wasteful spending and making government more efficient.

The candidates' education spending plans came into sharper focus after a week of back-to-school tours that crisscrossed the state. Both pledged to make education the focus of their political agendas in hopes of boosting mediocre national rankings and encouraging more economic development.