Sandra Deal was a tireless champion for literacy, colleague says

Caption

Former Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal and first lady Sandra Deal pose for a photo during his terms as governor.

Credit: Georgia.gov

Former Georgia first lady Sandra Deal is being remembered as a tireless supporter of the importance of reading and how it was taught in Georgia schools.

Sandra Deal, wife of former Gov. Nathan Deal, died Tuesday after a battle with cancer.

Deal was a teacher in Northeast Georgia's Hall County for 15 years and Georgia's first lady from 2011 to 2019.

Among tributes yesterday, Gov. Brian Kemp and first lady Marty Kemp said, "She was beloved by her students, but also an influential force in their lives."

GPB's Orlando Montoya spoke about Sandra Deal with Amy Jacobs, Georgia Commissioner for Early Care and Learning and chair of the Sandra Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy.

Amy Jacobs: Mrs. Deal was an incredible first lady and human being, and we all are just so sad to learn of her passing. But her legacy will live on. She impacted so many lives across the state and mine personally and professionally. And so we're happy to hopefully continue her legacy and all the good things she did for her state. But we're definitely sad and we send our condolences to Gov. Deal and the entire Deal family.

Orlando Montoya: I understand she was a schoolteacher throughout her career. Can you tell me a little bit about that?

Amy Jacobs: She was, and she talked about that a lot as I had the opportunity to travel around with her as first lady, as she read to classrooms all over the state. And she was really proud of her time as a schoolteacher. And she even went on to tell us that she was a product of schoolteachers: Her parents were schoolteachers. And I believe Gov. Deal's mother was also a schoolteacher. So she really valued the importance of education and she really cared about teachers.

Orlando Montoya: And I understand she didn't just visit a school every now and then. She visited every school district in the entire state of Georgia, did she not?

Amy Jacobs: She did. It's incredible that she visited all 181 school districts and visited over a thousand classrooms in her eight years. And it was usually multiple classrooms a day, you know, reading one or two books a time. And again, I got to travel with her and I was exhausted by the end of the day. And she just kept going. She had so much energy and so much passion.

Orlando Montoya: What was she like on those trips?

Amy Jacobs: Oh, she was just a ball of energy. And I have some great memories. She would ride in the front seat and often I would ride in the back seat. And her security would drive us there. And as soon as we pulled up to that school, before her driver had even really put the car in park, she was out the door, making her way to that school. She didn't wait for anybody because she was just excited to be there and really just see the teachers and talk to students and read to the students. And she always had a good message. And of course, she always read a book. But she always talked about the importance of reading and how reading opens up a world of opportunity. And she told the students, every time, "If you can read, you can do anything," and just really reiterated the importance of reading. And they didn't know exactly, you know, the impact that would have on them later. But I hope some of them hold on to that for years to come.

Orlando Montoya: And finally, since you are chair of the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy, I'd be remiss and not asking you about that and how her legacy continues on in your organization.

Amy Jacobs: Yes, well, I am I'm grateful to be the very first chair of the board of the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy. And it truly is going to be a lasting legacy for Mrs. Deal. It was originally named the Georgia Center for Early Language and Literacy at Georgia College and State University because, as we all know, Mrs. Deal is an alumna of Georgia College and State University. And soon as the legislation passed and it was created, Georgia College and State University decided to really honor her in the work that she had done for so many years, bringing awareness to the importance of literacy, especially of the youngest ages, from childbirth to the age of 8, that they named it the Sandra Dunagan Deal Center for Early Language and Literacy. And I remember her comment. She was very surprised that they did that. And the center, of course, focuses statewide on literacy efforts, providing professional development for teachers, but also being the state's go-to source for any type of best practices on literacy and literacy research.

Orlando Montoya: Well, my condolences to all who knew her, and thank you very much for sharing your memories of her today.

Amy Jacobs: You're welcome. Thank you for calling. I appreciate it.