This morning I opened my paper and read that: "Fayette schools given top rating test scores go to the head of the class." Really? Or, is this an attempt to portray mediocre achievements as first class and encourage more people to move to Fayette for our "quality schools?"

According to the Georgia Public Policy Foundation's "1996 Georgia High School Report Card for parents," Fayette County's high schools rank in the top 10 percent of public high schools in Georgia. The highest ranked in Fayette County, McIntosh, was in 19th place, Fayette County High School was 31st, and Sandy Creek was 45th out of 311 public high schools in Georgia.

Notice that this was a comparison between public high schools in Georgia. For the past 10 years parochial and private schools have not compared themselves to public schools because the top 10 percent of public schools rank in their academic bottom third. It's like comparing Olympians to middle schoolers.

Recently, local papers touted that Fayette County public school students ranked in the 72nd percentile compared to national norms. Considering that the income and education level of the parents ranks in the 90th percentile compared to other counties in the nation, I'd think that this would be another cause for parent concern rather than parent pride. And, and! According to many parents, this 72nd showing may have been much worse if the parents had not tutored or paid tutors to assist their kids in math and reading.

Rather than being proud of the achievements of our Fayette County School System, the Fayette County School Board should resign and beg forgiveness from the parents and children.

For the 1998-99 school year the budgeted expenditures will be about $108,000,000 for 18,000 children about $6,000 per child. And, this does not count the time you spend tutoring your child; and, this does not count the money you spend on tutors for your child; and, this does not count the time and money you spend on band, sports and academic competitions. Are we getting our money's worth?

There is a better way! It's called "Choice in education." A fully embraced "Choice in Fayette County Education" movement could mean that even if our student population doubles in the next 10 years, we would not need to build one new school building in Fayette County; we would not need to house one student in a trailer; and, most importantly, we could increase SAT, ITBS, ACT, CAT and other nationally ranked test scores by 10 to 20 percent in the next 10 years. All this, all this! With current school spending levels that are indexed for inflation!

We have the money; we have a quality environment; we have quality parents; we have the quality kids - but, if we do not have the will, if we continue to let the "professional" educators of the NEA and AFT and the state and local federal governments have their way with our kids, we will continue to be at the top of the bottom of the academic barrel. Our kids will continue to be first in esteem and beauty competitions but last in math and science competitions.

People of Fayette County! We can have Olympic quality education for our kids at Wal-mart prices.