A very dangerous trend has come to light not only in Georgia but across America. Education funding being used as a stepping stone to balance state and federal budgets.

Lynn Westmoreland made the statement, “We want everybody to have a great education.” Mitt Romney made a statement, “American kids get a third-world education.”

It’s a matter of public record that Westmoreland has voted to stop funding to many federal education programs. Romney could have cut 1/2 billion dollars in corporate tax cuts to balance Massachusetts’ state budget, but he cut $277 million from education and raised tuition at colleges and universities.

Gov. Sonny Perdue cut $1 billion over eight years from Department of Education, forcing teachers to take furlough days. Gov. Nathan Deal, also in his first year, cut $400 million from education.

These budget cuts in Georgia have resulted in loss of teaching positions, caused layoffs of school maintenance workers, forced schools to cut calendar days, reduce teacher salaries, eliminate achievement programs and after school programs, and, most of all, increased the number of students in a class. I don’t think you’d find a parent or educator anywhere who thinks increased class size will help education.

A public statement by Georgia Chamber of Commerce in 2011 said it best: “Our public education system will soon reach a point at which budgets cuts will negatively impact the core work of schools to educate our citizenry.”

Our children’s fundamental right to a quality education should not be used as a political tool.

Rick Page

Newnan