What if students and parents don't care to compete? Beatings? Where is the money for vouchers to come from? Who will pay for all of those buses for private schools?Why should private schools be subsized anyway? Who will pay for the alternative programs? Who would be willing to teach for peanuts? This is more silliness from a Johnny-one-note GOP.And wonder of wonders, we won't have to raise the taxes!

As I said in my blog, the money comes from getting the Federal Government and State Government out of the education business and returning control to educate children and the tax dollars to the County level. I take it you are satified with the system as it is, broken. What is it about compitition that liberals are so afraid of?

Liberals are afraid of the mindless business philosophy that seems to permeate what passes for Republican thought. Vouchers only work if they are funded adequately.Providing buses for private schools would entail additional expense.

Ironside, I disagree with you but I also disagree with fly. Competition is healthy but not when the education of children is concerned.

You want to remove the Federal and state governments from the system? I presume you want to eliminate the funds as well. Based upon the approved Bulloch County 2012 budget, that would result in the loss of 50% of the education budget funding.

So, where are you going to get your funds for expanded transportation? Funding for private school vouchers? Increased property taxes, increased sales taxes?

Fly, our educational system is broken and needs to be fixed. I do not think the NCLB effort under Bush worked but at least it was an attempt. But standardized testing isn't the answer because all students are not created equal. I certainly do not know how to fix it but I do know that having administrative positions (as Bulloch County does) devoted solely to testing and data evaluation is a waste of money.

Bryant, I really don't think we're very far apart on this. I believe that the competition mantra is wrong headed. I also believe that NCLB was a disaster--Lean Six Sigma applied to human beings.We need to interject some humanity into the schools and into our politics.

Bryant, life is competition. Why would you spare children from it. I was a teacher in public school. Kids make things competitive on their own. The role of adults is to channel that competitive nature in the right direction. Children need to learn what they enjoy about learning. It might be in music. Competition will force the child to learn that they do not have the voice to be a singer, however they are very good at playing the violin. Schooling should be about teaching children what they need to know to be sucessful in life. Competition is a large part of that. Schools should compete. How else would you be able to determine if they are doing their job of preparing children to be productive members of their community able and willing to work hard to take care of themselves and their families instead of turning to government welfare programs. Getting rid of Federal and State Departments of Education would allow all the taxpayer money they spend each year to be given to each county based on student enrollment. This would more than double the money our County would have to spend on education. It would pay for a voucher for every child. Who do you trust more to spend the education money, tell teachers what to teach, and how to teach, our local County School Board or some Federal and State employee. I prefer our local School Board who we can vote out of office if we don't get the results we want. Can't do that with the Feds and the State calling the shots. Who do you want incharge of educating your child. If your child has a voucher, you are incharge. You can pick any school to send them to. Right now you have only one choice, the school the government says you must send them to or pay twice to send them to a private school. So who is in charge? Do they have the best interest of your child's education as their goal? Why would you turn it over to them? Do they know better than you, what is best for your child? You will never be incharge until vouchers are approved.There is only one way to get vouchers and the Federal and State education dollars to pay for them, we must vote for Republicans because the Democrats are married to BIG government, the status quo, nothing changing, and having the government incharge of your child's edudation.