Commenters on the AJC Get Schooled blog discussed the candidates in Tuesday’s runoff in the Republican and Democratic races for state school superintendent. They also debated the value of the position itself. On the Republican side are Richard Woods and Mike Buck. On the Democratic side are Valarie Wilson and Alisha Thomas Morgan. Here is a sampling of comments:
Living: As much as I support Alisha Thomas Morgan, she's fighting an uphill battle against the establishment, as well as a state that is still in the GOP majority. If Morgan doesn't take down Valarie Wilson on Tuesday, then Mike Buck wins the general election easily, as long as he can fend off the tea party folks who are squarely in Richard Woods' camp.
Lynn: Valarie Wilson offers a concern and knowledge of students and public schools the others do not have. Morgan is not concerned about your children. She is concerned about her own ambitions.
What's Best: Mike Buck is the person for the job. Continually changing the focus of education, continually changing the way Georgia does business, is detrimental to our children. Can we please just stay the course for a while? Putting Woods in office scares the daylights out of me, because all he will do is thwart any momentum Georgia has made.
Mattie: Richard Woods seems to know what is needed to improve education in Georgia. The people who are against him have probably not stepped inside a classroom in years. As a full-time teacher since 1977, I cannot even begin to tell you how bad education has become. Kindergarten is no longer learning through play. In many cases, teachers are forced to teach using scripted lessons that give no room to meet the needs of children with different learning styles.
Bear: I was a teacher/coach/administrator in Georgia schools from 1976 until 2006. I never noticed anything a state school superintendent did had much effect on what went on in the classroom.
Lee: After reading what the four candidates have to say, I can see why we are in runoffs in both parties: None of the four really distinguishes themselves from the rest. We really need the ability to vote "None of the Above" in our elections.
TD: State School Superintendent John Barge attempted to work with Nathan Deal for the first two years, but Deal stopped the relationship and started seeking revenge when Barge thought the charter school amendment was bad for the children of the state.
Dunwoody: I find it interesting that not one of these candidates (or any political candidate, really) has put forth any specific plan — just a lot of cute buzz words. Reminds me of DeKalb County School District's "strategic" plan; it's no plan, but a "to-do" list that will never get done.
Class08: What power does the state school superintendent have, anyway? You are voting for a powerless figurehead.
Cy: When will politicians learn that you get what you don't pay for? You want the best teachers in the country teaching your students? Pay them. Why in the world would a math or science student in college go into teaching with a starting salary of $35K when they can go into a private business and make triple that?
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