Category Archives: Education

July 5, 2013 Radio Commentary

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“It’s Elementary, Talking about Gay Issues in School”

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, July 5, 2013 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

After viewing a video entitled, “It’s Elementary, Talking about Gay Issues in School,” a parent said, “It was Sunday School in Reverse,” and she was absolutely right.  If you saw it, you’d say that, too, because that video shows children in both private and public schools being skillfully led to accept and affirm various sexual orientations.

“It’s Elementary,” which was aired in 1999 by Georgia Public Television, has been used in public and private schools, as well as teacher training, for the sole purpose of promoting homosexuality to children in school.  It ignores the law, students’ religious training and home-taught morality, while never explaining the possible negative impact students and their families might face.

In the video, a fourth grade teacher in New York’s Public School 87 explains to her class that there is no right or wrong side in the homosexual discussion.  In another class, a third grader is shown reading to classmates her contest-winning poem about celebrating Mother’s Day with her two moms, who sat in the class wearing pink triangle pins, a symbol of homosexuality.  Continue reading →

June 14, 2013 Radio Commentary

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Destroying Local Control

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, June 14, 2013 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim.  They’ve been working on it for a very long time and the demise of local control over education is almost gone.  I knew we were in trouble when education elitists said “local school boards are dysfunctional,” probably because they are elected and hard to control.  As the “dysfunctional” label took root in Georgia, efforts were made to appoint members of local school boards, but that failed, as did efforts to appoint the state school superintendent.

However, the 14-member (one from each congressional district) State Board of Education is appointed by the governor and confirmed by the State Senate for seven-year terms.  Meaning, voters don’t elect them and voters can’t replace them.

While thinking about that, consider this.  By a margin of 14 to one, the appointed State Board of Education that makes education policy out-numbers the elected state school superintendent, who presides over State School Board meetings.  So, the one voice elected by voters is out-numbered by 14 voices appointed by the governor.  But, since the governor is elected as well, the actual ratio of elected voices to appointed voices is 14 to two.  That means the greatest influence over education in Georgia is not voters!  It’s the governor!

The State Constitution authorizes locally elected boards of education to manage and control schools and voters are constitutionally authorized to elect and replace local members.  But two decades ago, Georgia adopted the Next Generation School (NGS) project to transfer control of education from the local level to state and federal levels and, also, give teachers and staff control over schools, a direct contradiction to the State Constitution. Continue reading →

February 15, 2013 Newsletter-Legislative Action Needed

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House Rule 171.9
Without a Lobbyist Badge, Discussion
is Limited at the Capitol & CLOB

Rule 171.9 is not about crime and punishment for representatives or staff. It’s about limiting the constitutional freedom of speech for representatives and visitors at the Capitol and Coverdell Legislative Office Building. Rule 171.9 is as follows:

Rule 171.9. “No member of the House shall knowingly meet at the state capitol or Coverdell Office Building with any person who is required by the law of this State to register as a lobbyist to discuss the promotion or opposition of the passage of any legislation by the General Assembly or any committee thereof or the override of a veto unless such person either is wearing his or her valid special registered lobbyist badge or is a resident of the House district which such member represents.”

Although Rule 171.9 does not prohibit citizens from speaking with representatives, it forbids communication FROM representatives TO individuals who are not wearing a lobby badge … unless the individual and the representative live in the same district. Until now, individuals and representatives could freely communicate with each other and discuss political issues, with or without a lobbyist badge, regardless of where the individuals and representatives live.

On January 14th the Georgia House of Representatives passed H.R. 9, adopting its 52-page Rules, Ethics and Decorum for 2013, with 13 changes from 2012. Five rules from 2012 were deleted; seven amended; and a new one implemented – Rule 171.9, that made lobbyist badges mandatory, caused backlash from non-professionals who try to influence issues at the Capitol.

Rule 171.9 is listed under responsibilities of the seven Republicans and four Democrats on the House Ethics Committee1. Of those seven, four – the Majority Leader, the Minority Leader, the Majority Whip and the Minority Whip – comprise the preliminary inquiry subcommittee that first investigates reported ethical violations.

To expand an investigation, the subcommittee may retain paid or unpaid counsel and/or investigators, which the accused may do, likewise. In addition, the accused may cross examine accusers and obtain documents and materials offered in evidence. Representatives found guilty may be fined, censured or imprisoned or expelled. Expulsion requires a two-thirds House vote.

H.R. 9, implementing the new Rules, Ethics and Decorum of the House of Representatives for 2013, passed 118-57, revealing an almost total lock-step commitment to party. One Democrat and a lone Independent joined Republicans to pass it; two Democrats and a Republican failed to vote; and the two vacant seats in the House counted as failures to vote.

ACTION: To express your opinion about Rule 171.9 (a) call Speaker Ralston’s office at 404 656-5020.
b) Also, call Ethics Committee members: Representatives Joe Wilkinson, Ch., 404 463-8143; Abrams, 404 656-5058; Buckner, 404 656-0116; Floyd, 404 656-0314; Hugley, 404 656-5058; Jan Jones, 404 656-5072; Lindsey, 404 656-5024; O’Neal, 404 656-5052; Ramsey, 404 656-5146; Sheldon, 404 656-5025;
Willard, 404 656-5125

  • To read the rest of this newsletter in PDF format, please click here.

January 11, 2013 Radio Commentary

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Pre-filed Bills Jump-Start 2013 Session

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, January 11, 2013 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Good morning, Jim. Monday morning at precisely ten o’clock the Georgia General Assembly will meet for the first day of the annual 40-day session and, if pre-filed bills are any indication, this session will be filled with controversy.

As of Wednesday, representatives had pre-filed 37 bills and five resolutions. Senators had pre-filed 23 bills and five resolutions and both House and Senate want to lower the mandatory school age from six to five and raise the exit age from 16 to 17, even for kids who are determined to leave school and constantly disrupt classes for everyone else.

If either bill passes, students would have two extra years of politically correct “socialization” and schools would get two extra years of full-time-equivalency (FTE) funding. About that, you need to know that the word “socialization” does NOT mean little Johnny and little Susie will have two more years to learn how to get along with other children. It DOES mean schools would have two more years to train students to adopt the politically correct philosophy that, currently, is being used to transform our culture. Continue reading →