Very interesting. The Texas Legislature should “take a thorough look” at changing the structure of the embattled Texas State Board of Education, maybe changing it to a nonpartisan or appointed board, Texas House Speaker Joe Straus told the Star-Telegram Editorial Board Friday. … Besides the board’s handling of science standards, Straus said, “I have some other concerns about that […]
Recent Blogs
Jerry Coyne on Science and Texas
In the crush of the last couple of days, we didn’t have time until now to read through this essay by evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne at the University of Chicago about the debate over evolution and science in Texas public schools. Prof. Coyne wonders just how far to take the “strengths and weaknesses” (or the “teach […]
Science Is Winning in Florida
News from Florida: A bill aimed at undercutting acceptance of evolution in Florida science classes, which kicked up a fuss but didn’t pass in the Florida Legislature last year, apparently is going nowhere this year. A Senate version of the bill has yet to receive a committee hearing and has no companion bill in the House. That means, said one proponent of the […]
McLeroy, Science and ‘Hooey’
As we noted yesterday, evolution wasn’t the only target of social conservatives on the Texas State Board of Education this week. New public school science curriculum standards approved by the board also weaken instruction on climate change. Board Chairman Don McLeroy told a reporter that he thinks the standards, including a measure suggesting there is […]
It Wasn’t All about Evolution
The Texas State Board of Education did more than open the door to creationist attacks on evolution when passing new science curriculum standards today. It also watered down a section on global warming in the standards for the environmental systems high school course. The environmental systems curriculum standards drafted by a writing team in December […]
