New recommended standards for science education have been proposed and before the ink is dry Texas is rejecting them. It’s got to be tough to be intelligent and live in that state.
New recommended standards for science education have been proposed and before the ink is dry Texas is rejecting them. It's got to be tough to be intelligent and live in that state. http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/9/4206632/new-science-education-plan-NGSS-has-evolution-climate-changeWho needs an education when you got God on your side?
Texas governor calls for prayers for rain amid fires http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/21/us-texas-wildfires-idUSTRE73K7WY20110421
Rick Perry: “I think it’s time for us to just hand it over to God, and say, ‘God: You’re going to have to fix this,’" he said in a speech in May, explaining how some of the nation’s most serious problems could be solved. http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/08/11/rick-perrys-unanswered-prayers/How's that been working out for Texas?
After Praying for Rain, Texas Governor Rick Perry Prays for the EPA to Stop Environmental Regulations By Stephen Lacey on Aug 9, 2011 at 12:35 pm Texas Governor Rick Perry may be announcing his bid for president this Saturday, according to Politico. And last week, in an interview with CBN News, Perry gave a preview of his approach to federal environmental policy by explaining that he prays for the EPA to roll back emissions and air quality standards http://thinkprogress.org/climate/2011/08/09/291866/after-praying-for-rain-texas-governor-rick-perry-prays-for-the-epa-to-stop-environmental-regulations/
New recommended standards for science education have been proposed and before the ink is dry Texas is rejecting them. It's got to be tough to be intelligent and live in that state. http://www.theverge.com/2013/4/9/4206632/new-science-education-plan-NGSS-has-evolution-climate-changeProblem is because Texas buys its school textbooks statewide, and is thus the largest single buer of any particular textbook, it causes text books all over the country to be influenced (controlled)by these views.
Unfortunately each state was allowed, even encouraged to create and maintain their own school systems and this includes the curriculum. As of the 20’s creationists have attempted to insinuate their brand of fundamentalism into the public school curriculum, aiming specifically at the teaching of evolution, e.g. Tennessee State law and into the 90’s with the Katzmiller case. This is just another attemt to do the same in Texas with the intelligent design smoke screen. And Gary’s right about the textbook controversy. There are now only six companies in the US publishing texts for public school and Texas has been at the forefront of textbook
Publishing under the influence of the religious right:
And due to the money that religious organizations are pumping into the Texas State board to influence the curriculum (fear that kids are taught a godless, secular philosophy under the guise of science and social studies) text publishers are leaning in that direction. It will be up to all state boards to block this pseudoscience and historical revisionism from classrooms here in the US. Thankfully Ohio’s standards include the teaching of evolution in their benchmarks and a study of constitutional law, including cases that deal with religion (I didn’t post them but see ODE science standards, pages 34-41).
Cap’t Jack
Thanks for the Link Cap’t. I’ve heard this complaint about texas’ influence over textbooks for year but didn’t know all the details. I suppose in a way it might be a good thing that curriculum are determined locally otherwise Texas and the corrupt system of choosing board members there might affect far more than just the text books that are available to the our kids. It might be better to have some states where kids get a real education and some where it’s comic book science and social studies rather than having an entire country where all the kids get a worthless watered down education.
Thanks for the Link Cap't. I've heard this complaint about texas' influence over textbooks for year but didn't know all the details. I suppose in a way it might be a good thing that curriculum are determined locally otherwise Texas and the corrupt system of choosing board members there might affect far more than just the text books that are available to the our kids. It might be better to have some states where kids get a real education and some where it's comic book science and social studies rather than having an entire country where all the kids get a worthless watered down education.CA passes a law a few years ago, to make it illegal to use these fairy tales as textbooks in our state.
IMO the best way to thwart this concerted effort to promote xtian religious philosophy in the classroom is for the teacher to be fully educated in the subject you teach. Teachers who rely strictly on the textbook for information sell their students and themselves short. A textbook should be used only as a common reference in the classroom anyway. An alert teacher with a deep knowledge of the subject doesn’t need to rely on the sketchy info found in texts and teachers aren’t usually monitored by administrators as to the info they impart to the students. Admins are more interested in how well the kids did on the state test rather what is taught on a daily basis. So, an instructor, if obligated to use a revisionist text has the ability to ferret out the half truths and innuendos and teach science and social studies factually and not through the filter of a conservative religious agenda.
Cap’t Jack