Category Archives: Radio Commentaries

August 4, 2017 Radio Commentary

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Trump’s Georgia Appointees

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, August 4, 2017 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

President Donald Trump’s 16-member Executive Cabinet includes two men from Georgia. The first Georgian he tapped for cabinet service is Congressman Tom Price from Congressional District 6 that just elected his successor, Karen Handel.

Congressman Price was nominated Secretary of Health and Human Services on November 29th, and was confirmed by the Senate’s 52-47 straight party-line vote on February 10, 2017. As HHS Secretary, Mr. Price is working to repeal Obamacare.

After receiving his medical degree in Michigan, Dr. Price completed his residency at Emory University in Atlanta, where he ran an orthopedic clinic for 20 years, then returned to Emory as assistant professor of orthopedic surgery and director of Grady Hospital’s orthopedic clinic.

On January 18, 2017 former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue was nominated Secretary of the Department of Agriculture and was confirmed by the Senate in a sweeping 87-11 vote on April 24th.  On April 25th he was sworn in by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas from Georgia to become the 31st USDA Secretary.  He tweeted: “I was a farmer first.  When you’re in agriculture, you don’t often need a tie.  Rolling up my sleeves and getting to work at USDA.” Continue reading →

July 28, 2017 Radio Commentary

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Recess: Yes or No?

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, July 28, 2017 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

It might be under the radar, but a return to daily school recess is being discussed all over the country.  During the 2017 session, the Georgia House of Representatives voted 147 to 17 to pass H.B. 273, requiring local school boards to have a written recess policy for grades K – 12.  It does not REQUIRE schools to HAVE recess, but they must have a recess POLICY.

In fact, the bill has so much wiggle room that schools can have a recess policy on paper, without ever scheduling or allowing recess.  Even if schools voluntarily provide recess, it wouldn’t be required on any day it may interfere with physical education or a structured activity or an assembly or field trip or an emergency or disaster or an act of God.  H.B. 273 could be amended in 2018 to make recess mandatory, but this version timidly veers away from that.

The Senate Committee on Education and Youth favorably reported H.B. 273 out of committee, but it was tabled March 28th, leaving it alive for 2018.  That’s important, since the bill is now supported by members of the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, who might have been inspired by the national social media debate about the Florida recess bills.  Continue reading →

July 21, 2017 Radio Commentary

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NEA and the Culture Skid

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, July 21, 2017 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

Just 16 days ago, 7,000 NEA members gathered in Boston for their four-day annual conference over July 4th.  That’s when the NEA president declared, “We can win.  We have the power and they know it.”  The resolutions they passed explain what they plan to win and how they’ll do it.

Although law-abiding Georgians oppose sanctuary policies, and the General Assembly passed H.B. 37 outlawing sanctuary in colleges and universities, the NEA passed NBI 94 to support sanctuary in cities and schools, and promised to help create more.

Resolution NBI 18 outlines NEA’s position on illegal aliens this way: (a) The NEA opposes deportation; (b) and asks school staff NOT to cooperate with Immigration and ICE agents or other officials seeking immigration status.  (c) NEA encourages school districts to adopt refusal-to-cooperate-with-ICE-agent policies.  Also, NEA will (d) issue a press statement that school staff should not be encouraged or pressured to cooperate with ICE.

NBI 86 authorizes censorship of exhibits NEA deems “offensive.”  First, is the NEA Ex-Gay Educators exhibit indicating that homosexuality is a choice.  The other two offenders – Creation Truth Outreach and Creation Science Educators – contradict evolution.  NBI 154 directs creationism exhibits to be judged by two standing rules to determine whether they are offensive. Continue reading →

July 14, 2017 Radio Commentary

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Education EO and Local Control

Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, July 14, 2017 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler

When President Trump issued his April 26th Executive Order “Enforcing Statutory Prohibitions on Federal Control of Education,” it became the policy of the executive branch through the Secretary of Education to examine whether regulations and guidance documents uphold local control for curriculum, instruction programs, textbooks, library books, and other instructional material.

That order empowered the Secretary of Education to rescind or revise regulations and guidance documents that are inconsistent with federal law and propose replacement regulations within 300 days after the executive order was issued in April 2017.

On the basis of that order, the U.S. Secretary of Education should investigate the Human Rights Campaign’s (HRC) “Welcoming Schools Program,” that’s dedicated to utilizing LGBTQ-inclusive programs in Pre-K – 12 schools throughout the country.  To accomplish that, the HRC provides instruction through HRC-trained and HRC-certified facilitators, one of whom trained some of Georgia’s school nurses earlier this year. Continue reading →