Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes has

continued his winning ways during this year's session of

the General Assembly.

Last week, in the state

House of Representatives, Gov. Barnes' plan to reform

education was adopted by a 131-40 vote margin with most

of his support coming from the Democrats and most of his

opposition coming from the Republicans (though a goodly

number of the GOPers did cross over and vote for the

bill).

The massive document,

numbering more than 150 pages, was amended greatly in

committee with the approval of Gov. Barnes' minions.

It is likely to be amended

further in the state Senate, which is now considering the

legislation.

However, one portion of the

bill which Gov. Barnes is apparently not willing to

negotiate about concerns the elimination of that misnamed

employment right called "tenure" for teachers

employed after July 1 of this year.

Contrary to what the term

implies, "tenure" for public school teachers

does not mean that they cannot be fired.

It simply guarantees that

they will have certain rights of appeal which - like

the appeals of persons convicted of capital crimes and

sentenced to death - simply stretches out the

process much longer than most people would reasonably

expect.

Now, many casual observers

of the current legislative battle over Gov. Barnes' plan

must be a little confused over all the furor created by

his attempt to eliminate "tenure" for future

hires.

After all, Georgia is a

right-to-work state, which means that none of the rest of

us working stiffs who might be terminated from our jobs

have any right to any appeal of the decision or hearing

with any higher authority than our boss who has let us

go.

Why, the casual observer

must be asking, should teachers be any different?

That is a good question

- and most of the answers you hear from those

teacher organizations which are fighting to keep

"tenure" can make no case stronger than that

the teachers (or workers) do not trust the administrators

(or management).

Of course, what other

response would you expect from any union worth its salt

whose main responsibility is protecting the job rights

- pay, benefits, working conditions, etc. - of

its members?

Now, that last statement

should not be taken as anti-union, for I strongly support

the right of every worker in whatever profession or job

category - and regardless of who their employer

might be (public or private) - to organize

themselves in order to seek and get the best standards of

employment possible.

But, sometimes, unions do

end up protecting incompetents or forcing their employers

to maintain employees in positions which have outlived

their usefulness - such as the fireman on a diesel

locomotive or the navigator in some of the smaller jets

which the railroads and the airlines were forced to keep

long after technology had made the positions unnecessary.

There is a vast difference

between protecting the right of employees and serving as

a stumbling block to insuring the accountability and

efficiency of an organization.

The public schools -

and all those who work for them - are paid for by

the taxpayers and they must be held accountable for what

they produce.

If they are not producing

the results we who pay the bills want, then it is time to

make some changes.

This is all that Gov.

Barnes is trying to do - and those of us who really

want reform should be supporting him in his efforts.

[Lee N. Howell is an

award-winning writer who has been observing and

commenting upon politics and society in the Southern

Crescent, the state, and nation for more than a quarter

of a century.]