Voucher proposal would 'cripple' public schools or boost private

Editor:

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As one who not only is director of legislative services for the Georgia School Boards Association but like most other Georgians is a state taxpayer, I want to thank Barry Paschal for a great column regarding school vouchers ("Voucher Guy' was unarmed," Nov. 23).

I do not know if this initiative is, at worst, a veiled attempt to cripple the capacity to provide quality public education to all students in Georgia (and I make no such accusation) or, at best, an attempt to provide private school options to a few more parents.

Of one thing, however, I am certain: The state of Georgia and local communities throughout the state currently struggle to fund quality education for our students - all 1.6 million of them, with no entrance screening or academic or behavior qualifications prior to admittance.

And, local school boards are accountable for every dollar expended through their budgets.

Vouchers would provide a second state-funded school system - private schools that can select their students and at the same time be held to few (compared to public schools) accountability standards. This the state and its taxpayers cannot afford.

Don Rooks, director

Legislative and Superintendent Search Services

Georgia School Boards Association