While the ridicule is well deserved, I want to take exception to something possibly implied in Curmudgeon’s response, where he says that “High school students don’t know how to reach ‘their own conclusions’ about science. That’s why they’re in school! That’s why we call them students! “
Category Archives: Education
ICR appeals TX decision against creationist grad degree for science teachers
June 3, 2008 – 2:43 pm
The Institute for Creation Research has announced its appeal seeking reversal of the decision by the Texas higher education board against accreditation for its distance education masters degree in “science education,” which would presumable have qualified its graduates for certification as science teachers in Texas (and, they would hope, licensing as science teachers in other [...]
Bradley: Teachers “got spanked” by Texas Bd. of Ed.
June 3, 2008 – 1:05 pm
Added June 6, 2008:
NY Times: Opponents of Evolution Adopting a New Strategy
Steven Schafersman, President, Texas Citizens for Science: Critical Review that covers developments reported in the NY Times article and the article (linked below) by Gary Scharer, as well as reaction by Intelligent Design proponents.
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A story by Gary Scharrer for the San Antonio Express-News reports [...]
TX School Bd member seeks replacement of Bd chair
May 26, 2008 – 5:29 pm
The previous post on the “Texas English / Language Arts standards debacle” has raised questions about intentionality — whether this just shows incompetence, or whether the right-wing board leadership and majority are acting with nefarious intent.
A May 21 article by Gary Scharrer for the Houston Chronicle is suggestive, I think. It reports that in a [...]
Texas ELAR standards debacle (evolution next?)
May 24, 2008 – 11:39 pm
The Texas State Board of Education’s shocking action Friday (May 23, 2008) in adopting new standards for K-12 English/Language Arts is being viewed by some as a harbinger of things to come for the new science standards, which are the next to be revised.
new study: 1 of 8 HS science teachers teach creationism
May 20, 2008 – 4:12 pm
This new study reports that “Of the 25% of teachers who devoted time to creationism or intelligent design, nearly half agreed or strongly agreed that they teach creationism as a “valid scientific alternative to Darwinian explanations for the origin of species.”
Documentation re: Texas rejects creation science teaching degree
May 6, 2008 – 6:30 pm
On April 24 the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board denied an application from the Institute for Creation Research [ ICR ] for certification of its distance education program for a masters degree in “science education,” which would have meant certification of its graduates as science teachers. The following Documents are now posted at the TCEHB [...]
Resources on Ben Stein’s Expelled
May 6, 2008 – 11:32 am
In addition to “Expelled Exposed,” a page maintained by NCSE with links to coverage on Ben Stein’s movie, the pro-creationist Access Research Network (ARN) also has a page of links to resources. The ARN page may be more comprehensive, including links to items both favorable and critical toward the movie.
Brownback’s anti-humanzee legislation
May 5, 2008 – 5:22 pm
In Ligers, Tigons, and Zonkeys, Oh My!, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council writes:
Over the past few years, plenty of animal hybrids have been coaxed into existence, including wholphins (whale and dolphin), lepjags (leopard and jaguar), and a pizzly (polar and grizzly bear). We are quickly approaching a threshold of irresponsibility that is [...]
Expelled enjoined
May 5, 2008 – 11:21 am
Yoko Ono has won an injunction against Expelled, but the answer is effective public education — not “enforced science,” which is at best an oxymoron.
“Evolution, Me, & Other Freaks of Nature”
May 4, 2008 – 7:58 pm
Evolution, Me & Other Freaks of Nature by Robin Brande is one of two books reviewed for the Austin American-Statesman, as “Good YA novels with silly titles.”
From the review:
When Ms. Shepherd begins teaching evolution, the self-styled “Holy Warriors” at Mena’s church call for her dismissal and demand the teaching of intelligent design. Mena [...]
anti-science in Texas
May 4, 2008 – 7:41 pm
The following morning, I received a call from the principal. She confirmed that there is no retesting for the Science TAKS. But she also informed me that my son would not be retained in the fifth grade because Science TAKS is not required for promotion! Fifth grade students must pass the Reading and Math TAKS tests in order to be promoted, but they don’t even have to show up for the Science TAKS.
from Ben Stein: “Darwinism cannot explain gravity” (with video)
May 3, 2008 – 2:24 pm
From Glenn Beck’s show on CNN Monday, April 28, 2008:
Darwinism cannot explain gravity, cannot explain thermodynamics.
Negative Implications Of No Child Left Behind: As Graduation Rates Go Down, School Ratings Go Up
February 18, 2008 – 8:10 pm
ScienceDaily (2008-02-16) — Texas’ public school accountability system, the model for the national No Child Left Behind Act, directly contributes to lower graduation rates, according to new research. Each year Texas public high schools lose at least 135,000 youth prior to graduation — a disproportionate number of whom are African-American, Latino and English-as-a-second-language students.
The study [...]
eclipsed evolution vote in Texas
February 18, 2008 – 4:42 pm
Turnout for Huckabee, who supports Chuck Norris in promoting use of the Bible as a textbook in the public schools, could have an impact on State School Board elections that most of us outside of Texas don’t even know about.
