Anti-science zealots can be pretty (unintentionally) comical. The Austin American-Statesman published an article today (behind a paywall) about Responsive Education Solutions charter schools teaching junk science that attacks evolution and promotes creationism as a valid scientific alternative. The article prompted one right-wing activist to claim in an online screed this morning:
“Libs bullying to force evolution into Texas schools”
Liberals are “forcing” evolution into Texas schools? Golly, next thing you know some folks will want Texas students to learn about gravity and how Earth revolves around the sun instead of the other way around.
Actually, the state’s curriculum standards — adopted by those crazy liberals on the State Board of Education — require that students learn about evolution in their science classrooms.
As for the “bullying” claim, she’s upset when groups like the Texas Freedom Network point out that teaching creationism as an alternative to evolution in public schools science classrooms is essentially lying to students. It’s also unconstitutional, meaning those public schools and the taxpayers who support them are at risk of lawsuits.
In fact, today’s Statesman article notes that our friends at Americans United for Separation of Church and State already plan to send cease-and-desist letters to the Responsive Ed schools, which receive millions of dollars in public funding.
Stay tuned.
My thoughts on the subject at http://www.laprogressive.com/teaching-creationism-in-texas/.
I would swear I learned evolution in school {mumble mumble}-plus years ago.
Evolution is the truth.
The schools teaching creationism need to be held accountable. And the responsible parties made to sit thru actual Science classes.
Can someone please bring suit against Responsive ed because they are using tax dollars to promote their religion?
If you think God created you. You miss something in your Science class unless you think your the Virgin Mary.
My (public) high school science teacher refused to teach the evolution chapter because “it was wrong, and God made the world.” He’s now retired and has a “science” complex named after him. Truly horrifying.
The TEA could do more than it claims it can. They CAN put pressure on local boards. Also, the backgrounds of every director and founder of a charter school should be made public and in a manner that would be widely read. They’re trying to hide their religious and educational affiliations, which usually directly link them to fundamentalistic thinking and ultra, ultra conservative “extremist” political positions.
I love this – I mean how can you “force” fact ???
Makes me want to sing “Wooly Bully”……….how about you?
How dare the libs force education down the throats of our children!
I went to a Catholic HS and was taught evolution ## years ago! WTH! Science is science.
Well, Catholics are not REALLY Christians (according to fundamentalist US protestants). That they have started to accept science is just the icing on the cake.
Next they’ll be teaching about germs, gravity and heliocentrism! Where will it ever stop?
The suppression of the theory of intelligent falling is one of the often overlooked tragedies. Not to forget that diseases are caused by demons, being gay or having offended the Lord. And G#d stopped the sun at Gibeon on Joshua’s request* so of course the sun is the moving and the Earth the static object. 😉
*there are people that still try to find evidence for that and some even claim to have found the scientific proof (some clearly scammers the other just deluded).