By PAT NEWMAN
Staff Writer

State Rep. Kathy Cox is preparing for a busy legislative session starting Monday, Jan. 10 with an eye on the multifaceted education reforms expected to be key issues.

“Education, education, education... that's going to be the priority issue for the governor. There are so many aspects of it,” said Cox, who represents Fayette County.

“His reform commission has dealt with everything from looking at reformulating Quality Basic Education funding to the issue of testing, accountability, vouchers... it's all going to be a huge undertaking,” said the Peachtree City Republican.

“And it's not going to be anything that will be very sudden, so it's not like all of a sudden, starting in September, [there's a] drastic change in Georgia,” she added. “However, that doesn't mean the changes he's proposing aren't significant, but they are going to be more long-term, [and] there are going to be some short term things that he's going to do too,” Cox said.

Fayette County's public school system stands to lose approximately $4 million if a new proposal to equalize state school funding is enacted. It's questionable at this time if legislative action is necessary to make the revisions.

“The governor's budget office will make the recommendations, and he can tinker with that without even passing laws,” said Cox.

The changes are aimed at making education spending more even across the state, she said, adding, “I don't know if it's more even, or it's actually trying to get money into areas that are more desperate.

“In the legislature,” she said, “there's always been this fight between urban and rural — I think this issue is going to be suburban versus rural, because suburban, fast growing counties that have a good tax base are growing at a pace where they can't keep up with the building... is it fair and equitable to those people?

“By the same token,” she added, “in rural Georgia you can't squeeze blood out of a turnip... is it really fair? Some of these rural counties are not at the maximum millage rate. If you're talking about taking from the haves and giving to the have nots, you'd better make sure that the have nots are really the have nots.”

The issue is muddied further by potential court battles, she said. In many states, opponents have attacked the use of property taxes for schools, saying that the disparity in market values across a state results in a lack of equal opportunity in education, said Cox.

“I think... the governor is trying to avoid... that court battle,” said Cox. “And that's something we should try to do, we should try and avoid it, but I'll also try to fight to make sure we don't get stuck in a hole.”

In regard to testing in the schools, Cox, who is a social studies teacher at Sandy Creek High School, on leave for the 40-day legislative session, expects that there will be more testing. “I don't have a problem with testing,” she said, “if the tests are going to measure what we want them to measure. The problem is, we spend so much money on tests that don't really indicate to us what's happening in the classroom; that's what I'm afraid might happen.

“At the high school level,” she added, “what I've heard is going to be proposed is that we move away from the state graduation test, which they take one time in 11th grade, and we go to content area — after they have completed a course, they take a test on that course. And that would be a statewide test. And that to me would indicate accountability... I would prefer to see something like that.”

Cox said she will evaluate proposed testing based on the question: “Are we going to create tests that truly measure and reflect the curriculum?”

Cox foresees changes in statewide testing being phased in, along with the ability of schools to track students. “The ability to track students in the system — that's the only way you're going to get people to buy into accountability. If we can actually have a record of how a child is progressing in school throughout the whole lifetime of that child in Georgia schools... because then you know what you're dealing with when a student walks into your room. Is it fair to hold a teacher accountable if this child walks into my room, you know, behind?”

Growing transportation issues also are on the minds of the county's delegation. Despite increased traffic and development, the south side's problems do not merit the same attention as areas like Gwinnett County, according to Cox.

“Sheer numbers dictate that they get priority,” Cox said of congested metro areas seeking road improvements and enhancements. However, local officials including Fayetteville's former Mayor Mike Wheat and Peachtree City's Mayor Bob Lenox have been successful in getting some key projects bumped up a couple of years by the Atlanta Regional Commission, Cox noted. “Fayetteville has been very successful in getting DOT's [Department of Transportation] help with a lot of their traffic issues. They have been very professional. Wayne Shackelford [DOT commissioner] has complimented them on their projects and their plans, and the work they have put into looking at roads,” Cox commented.

Other issues which Cox said will probably come before the legislature deal with deregulation, water agreements between states, taxes and prescribing rights for health care professionals.

Cox serves on the Industry Committee that will handle gas deregulation. “We've still got some work to do on that, and the issue of electrical [deregulation] is right there on the horizon,” she said.

“Taxes are going to continue to be an issue. I think you're going to see a greater push to alleviate and relieve the income tax burden on people because of the revenue status of the state... the revenue is just coming in very quickly. I haven't heard any exact proposals this year, but I think you're going to see some people clambering for some tax relief.“

Finally, water compacts between Georgia and the states of Florida and Alabama are still being negotiated, according to Cox. “They haven't come up with an agreement on how to share these resources fairly... that's going to affect Atlanta and the rest of the state with development,” she said.