Possible Hard Roads Ahead & Texans Respond

In response to the issues I wrote about in a previous post here, many Texans (and indeed folks from outside the state) have informed me that they are shocked and appalled by the actions of the Texas Education Agency (TEA) and some members of the State Board of Education (SBOE). The actions in question suggest the governor and state board members are not-so-covertly pushing to include creationist ideas in science classrooms in Texas public schools.

Well, there are in fact now grumblings of potential counter-measures being employed at undergraduate and graduate level institutions across the country, should Texas go down the creationist path in the upcoming curriculum reviews.

My friend, Mark Henn, a university psychology teacher in New Hampshire, pointed something out to me that confirms this new mindset has taken root. There is an idea floating around the blogosphere that if Texas succeeds in redefining science, the greater educational world will have no choice but to redefine how it views a Texas education. The notion is, a graduate of Texas schools may be required to take remedial science courses, or else be rejected from graduate or medical school as an unfit candidate.

Seem extreme?

Well, with its size and number of school children, Texas can and has changed the biology textbook market for the entire country before. So educators at higher learning institutions outside the state have experience with the concept of dumbing down a curriculum based on one state, and there's talk that they may find adding Intelligent Design into such a far-reaching system, like the one in Texas, as being a bridge too far. Seems they are ready to act.

Of course, this may be nothing but Internet smoke that's being blown about. It's too early to tell. But it confirms that the rest of the country's educators are watching Texas closely.

And of course many local educators and Texans are watching this issue closely as well.

Several concerned teachers and citizens have taken up pen, telephone, and email to voice their displeasure over the forced resignation of the TEA's Director of Science, Christine Comer, and the creationist leanings of the SBOE.

Perhaps one of the most high-profile communiques in this campaign is the open letter to Texas Commissioner of Education, Robert Scott, written by nearly 200 Biology faculty members from various Texas universities. You can view the PDF version of this open letter here.

It reads in part:

. . . It is inappropriate to expect the TEA’s director of science curriculum to “remain neutral” on this subject, any more than astronomy teachers should "remain neutral" about whether the Earth goes around the sun. In the world of science, evolution is equally well-supported and accepted as heliocentrism. Far from remaining neutral, it is the clear duty of the science staff at TEA and all other Texas educators to speak out unequivocally: evolution is a central pillar in any modern science education, while "intelligent design" is a religious idea that deserves no place in the science classroom at all . . .

In addition, many individual parents are responding with letters to their state congressional representatives, Gov. Perry, their SBOE representative, and the op-ed outlets in various media. A few have given me permission to share their messages with you.

Naomi L. Baker, PE, mother of two, says:

I am the manager of a independent energy company located in Houston, and have two sons that are about to enter college.

Although a graduate of Permian High and Texas Tech, I am recommending to my sons that they attend college in another state. My degree has become suspect. As a graduate of a Texas school, my professional colleagues across the country assume that I have a substandard education, lacking in fact-based science curriculum. Why? Texas has become a laughing stock throughout the world, because of the continued actions of your office and that of the TEA; most recently the firing of Chris Comer.

Creationism and its clone "Intelligent Design" are religion, not science. The state has NO RIGHT to sabotage the education of its citizens for a particular religious view. The fact that Ms. Comer was fired for forwarding an email advertising a talk by a nationally-known scientist is bad enough; that the TEA thinks it should 'remain neutral' and then FIRE AN EDUCATOR for passing along information about a PUBLIC TALK is unconscionable. Our students are our future doctors, engineers, and scientists. How are they to function in the world when they have not been taught the best of scientific consensus?

My sons attended parochial school for several years. If they are to be taught religious ideology, that is the place, not the public schools.

For the first time in my life, I am ashamed of my state. Thank you, sir.

Proud Texan, Dave Ricci, in his own indelible way, adds the following:

Dear Governor Perry:

With the ruling in Dover, Pennsylvania so recent and the negative media attention that is being showered on places like Kansas and Ohio, one would hope that the great state of Texas would not be the next to embarrass themselves on the public stage of education. One would hope that, but this appears not to be the case. With your recent appointment of creationist Don McLeroy to head the Texas State Board of Education and his subsequent removal of Chris Comer, the Texas Education Agency’s Director of Science Curriculum, it becomes quite clear that the current leadership of Texas is determined to march us backwards into the dark ages.

The teaching of creationism (or “intelligent design” as it is currently obfuscated) has no place in a science classroom. It is not science. I am 100% in favor of religious freedom, but not to the point where it is allowed to spread absolute falsehoods and pervert the proper teaching of science in our Texas classrooms. To do this is to assure that our state will be bypassed by top educators and scientists worldwide. We will become the next laughingstock. I dread to see this especially when the only purpose is to appease a small, science-denying portion of the public.

I am aware that as a conservative, you may be prone to side with the religious activists on this issue, but I urge you to be aware of the dangerous consequences of allowing our educational system to be taken over by those who would abandon science for their own narrow religious agenda. As always, I will be paying close attention to how our elected representatives vote on these matters. Please vote for the advancement of knowledge. Don’t let us become regarded as superstitious fools.

And a concerned citizen in west Houston who wishes to remain anonymous has this to say to the governor:

Dear Governor Perry:

The November 5, 2007 memo “Re: Proposed Disciplinary Action” from Monica Martinez to Susan Barnes says that on October 26, 2007, Chris Comer forwarded an email that “implies that TEA endorses the speaker’s [Barabara Forrest’s] position on a subject on which the agency must remain neutral. Thus, sending this email compromises the agency’s role in the TEKS revision process by creating the perception that TEA has a biased position on a subject directly related to the science education TEKS.” I am sure that you are well aware that Ms. Comer has since been forced to resign for several reasons, including this email.

While the Texas Education Agency (TEA) should not be holding religious positions, it is unconscionable for TEA to be neutral about the teaching of Intelligent Design or Creationism in Texas science classes. It is a fraud to teach evolution as anything but the rigorous scientific theory that it is. It is disingenuous to teach a false controversy that has no basis in scientific evidence. It is unconstitutional (Edwards v. Aguillard, Kitzmiller v. Dover) to promote the religious beliefs of Creationism and Intelligent Design in a public school classroom.

If the TEA has any plans of replacing Ms. Comer with a Director of Science more likely to cooperate with a Creationist agenda, please disabuse them of that notion immediately.

Sincerely,
[Signature]

Thanks, and good job all!

If this subject interests you at all, no matter what side of the fence you're on, I urge you to contact your public officials and let them know that you are aware of their actions. Remember, they work for us. Charge them with the task of doing the right thing.

Curiosity Aroused is Here!

Well, it's finally here!!

My good friend and erstwhile Rinderpest.com blogger, Rebecca Watson, after being one of three winners in the Public Radio Talent Quest contest that I reported on recently, has finalized her pilot program, and it is available for your listening pleasure on the TalenQuest website.

The show, called Curiosity Aroused, takes a closer look at the strange and bizarre claims and information that we encounter on a daily basis, and it does it in a whimsical, fun way, while never losing sight of common sense or rationality.

In addition to Rebecca, many wonderful people have worked hard to produce the pilot episode, so give it a listen. And even though the Public Radio Corporation will make the final decision on which of the three finalists will get picked up for more shows, if you like Curiosity Aroused, let Public Radio know it.

Congratulation to Rebecca and everyone involved!

Here's hoping you get funded for more shows.