Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 8, 1994 TAG: 9410110017
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: TAVARES, FLA. LENGTH: Medium
Three Christian Coalition-backed School Board candidates who favored teaching students that American culture is superior to all others were soundly defeated in this week's GOP runoff.
Their moderate Republican opponents, as well as the Democrats vying for three open seats on the five-member panel in November, all have pledged to overturn the so-called America-first policy, which was adopted by the Lake County School Board in May but never went into effect.
Teachers, school administrators and many parents and students were relieved by the outcome of the runoff, which, after weeks of fiery rhetoric, drew a record turnout: 28 percent, compared with a statewide average of 13 percent.
``The people turned out the extremists,'' said Keith Mullins, co-chairman of People for Mainstream Values-formed expressly for the Sept. 8 primary and Tuesday's runoff in this central Florida county of farms, citrus groves and mobile homes. The county has more than 150,000 people, many of them retirees.
``I feel we're going to get back into the business of teaching kids and doing what's right for our educational programs,'' said Paula Bleakley, a 15-year teacher at Dabney Elementary School in Leesburg.
Outgoing School Board Chairwoman Pat Hart, who wrote the cultural superiority policy but did not seek re-election, blamed the outcome on liberal media and teachers' union money.
John Dowless, state field director for the Christian Coalition, the national organization founded by Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson, agreed.
``We were appalled by the anti-Christian bigotry,'' Dowless said. ``They feared more people of faith would become involved in politics. Now, the America-first policy will be reversed, and they'll probably want more explicit sex instruction.''
Dowless called Lake County's ``a unique election'' with little or no significance elsewhere. But many saw it as a bellwether for other areas of the nation where moderates face candidates who pursue agendas advocated by the religious right.
Many residents expect the new board majority taking office after the November election to concentrate on a statewide plan designed to improve education.
``We will be talking about the issues now,'' Mullins said.
Most teachers and administrators believed the conservative-controlled board led by Hart was so concerned with its political agenda that teaching and students were given short shrift.
The America-first policy was only the most controversial of the conservative majority's actions over the past two years.
Some other policies considered would have prohibited deep breathing, meditation and yoga by students. The board deleted the mention of condoms in a videotaped AIDS program for students and shut down a prekindergarden program in Eustis, against the wishes of a parent-teacher committee.
The conservative majority also rolled back property taxes, cutting school funding and putting a number of instructional programs on hold. It held up construction of new schools and froze teachers' salaries.
The teachers' organization, the Lake County Education Association, had sued to throw out the cultural superiority policy, contending it violates a state law requiring the teaching of respect and appreciation for other cultures.
The School Board never put the policy into effect.
At Tavares High School, a mock election was held Monday that turned up nearly the same results as the countywide voting. Two of the three conservative candidates were defeated 2-to-1.
Sophomore Wendy Flach said, ``I believe everyone's got a right to their own opinion on what's superior.''
by CNB