Date: Thu, 10 Oct 1996 19:11:55 -0700 (PDT) From: jessea@uclink4.berkeley.edu (Jessea NR Greenman) Subject: ANOTHER ACTION ALERT re Elizabethtown PA Bd. of Ed!!! || HR 3467 (federal voucher clause) died in committee from wire service reports, 10-10-96 : Pennsylvania state news Elizabethtown - The school board will reconsider its new "pro-family" resolution after 250 students walked out in protest. The students objected t= o to the resolution's anti-gay stance. and this from: GLSTNAlert@aol.com Date: Thu, 10 Oct 1996 11:30:23 -0400 Subject: Elizabethtown (PA) Action Alert Action Alert Elizabethtown (PA) Schools Ban "Pro-Homosexual Concepts" The Elizabethtown Area Schools has touches off a controversy due to its passage of the following "pro-family" resolution: "Whereas the traditional family, of one man married to one woman and their children through birth or adoption, has been the norm in all civilized societies throughout history; Whereas, the traditional family , as the fundamental building block for a healthy society, is an ideal to which all should aspire; Whereas the traditional family bears the primary responsibility for the moral instruct of children; and Whereas the traditional family is under relentless attack by those who want to redefine family to include homosexual and lesbian couples and by those who want to indoctrinate children in pro-homosexual propaganda against their wishes of their parents, therefore Be it resolved that the Elizabethtown Area School District hereby endorses the pro-family resolution and affirms that the pro-homosexual concepts on sex and family as promote by the National Education Association will never be tolerated or accepted in this school." In response, over 200 Elizabethtown middle and high school students staged a walkout of their classes on Tuesday, October 8, and were rewarded with three-day suspensions by the school administration. Students were protesting that they not only disagreed with the policy but also had not been given a chance to share their views at the board meeting where the policy was adopted. The Elizabethtown School Board will revisit the policy in its upcoming meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 15. In response to requests from students in the area, GLSTN is urging all interested parties to make their views on this policy known to : Dr. Marilyn Baker Acting Superintendent Elizabethtown Area High School 600 E. High St. Elizabeth town, PA 17022 (717) 367-1521. =3D=3D=3D=3D GLSTNAlert is a GLSTN news bulletin service of the The Gay, Lesbian, and Straight Teachers Network (GLSTN). To Subscribe to GLSTNAlert simply send an email to GLSTNAlert@aol.com with the words "Subscribe GLSTNAlert" in the subject line (no quotes and note the lack of space in GLSTNAlert). Also: please write your name in the message portion of your email. =3D=3D=3D=3D [The P.E.R.S.ON. Project adds: Pennsylvania's code of professional conduct expressly prohibits any professional licensed by the state, such as teachers and school counselors, from discriminating on the basis of sexual orientation. [22 Pa. Code =A7 235.4(4)] Pennsylvania also has prohibited discrimination based upon sexual orientation in its education code. [22 Pa. Code =A7 5.4 Pennsylvania is a LOCAL adoption state. Nonetheless, the state DOES have a Board of Ed and a Dept. of Ed, both of which should be prevailed upon to take action to reverse Elizabethtown's decision, the basis for reversal being the laws cited just above. Department of Education, 333 Market St., Harristown 2, Harrisburg PA 17101-2301; departmental telephone=3D 717-787-3787, TDD=3D717-783-8445, and fax=3D717-787-7306. The Secretary of Education is Eugene Hickok; phone=3D 717-783-3126, fax=3D 717-783-4517. The Elizabethtown School Board can be reached by fax at 717 367 1920 or phone at 717 367 1521. Mailing address is John LaRue, President, and All Members Elizabethtown School Board 600 E. High St. Elizabethtown PA 17022 To influence public opinion in the area, write letters to the editor of the local paper: Lancaster New Era,Box 1328,Lancaster,PA,17608 -(Fax 717-399-6506, print run 54,268) ]. ---------- ---------- according to Congressman Ronald V. Dellums, H.R. 3467, the so-called "Saving Our Children: Renewing American Communities Act" of 1996, which contained a vouchers-for-private-schools clause, died in committee without any hearings having been held. we had done action alerts on this right-wing legislation, so thanks to those of you who took action to express to your federal representatives your opposition to it. *+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+*+ OK TO RE-POST. Jessea NR Greenman, The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project (Public Education Regarding Sexual Orientation Nationally) The P.E.R.S.O.N. Project is an all-volunteer effort CHECK OUT OUR FREE INFO-LOADED WEB PAGE AT http://www.youth.org/loco/PERSONProject/ "Most of the change we think we can see in life is due to truths being in and out of favor." Robert Frost