I am a registered Fayette County voter. I am totally opposed to this bill as written. In our county, the class size is smaller than the state mandated size on purpose. Children learn better in smaller classes.

As a former Clayton County middle school teacher, I can assure you this is true.

As a former Clayton County teacher, I can also assure you that it would be difficult for a Clayton County sixth grader not to negatively impact Fayette County’s NCLB status.

Their curriculum is not and never was as rigorous as Fayette County schools due to lack of parental support, partially.

Have you looked at the difference in CRCT scores? Clayton is consistently has a two digit failure rate, while Fayette is consistently one low digit.

As a tax-paying property owner in Fayette County, I am totally outraged that Fayette County could have a surge of Clayton students into this county that will make a hurricane storm surge look like a trickle, WITHOUT those students paying any of our county taxes.

Let me tell you, our property taxes are a bite out of my wallet. The education portion of that tax is the bulk of the property tax. I never, ever, complain about the education portion of property taxes because I have three kids who are getting a great education as a direct result of property taxes.

BUT, I am extremely opposed to letting neighboring students come in to this system without paying any property tax, negatively affecting my children’s class size and resources available.

All of our schools will have to have a Gwinnett-style trailer city around it if we are forced to allow Clayton County students. We worked too hard at the beginning of the year to expel out of county students to be forced into this.

Look, folks, you are taking on a lot of mama tigers by passing this bill through. Ask any Fayette County principal, a Fayette County parent will fight for their kid all the way up the chain of command.

Governor, I know you’re on your last term, but there are a lot of Republicans in this county, and the next Republican candidate might suffer as a result of this bill passing.

One final question: How in the world did this bill wind up in the Science and Technology committee?

Virginia Taylor

mom_247 (at) yahoo.com

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