The Texas State Board of Education’s public hearing on proposed new public school science curriculum standards lasted until nearly midnight on Wednesday. Parents, scientists, teachers, clergy and businesspeople waited for hours for the chance to voice their concerns about the standards — particularly what students should learn about evolution. Many traveled to Austin from other parts […]
Recent Blogs
Shouldn’t Texas Kids Know As Much As a Purple Dinosaur?
Guess who turned up at the Texas State Board of Education for the hearing on evolution? Barney the Dinosaur! And he had a good question for board chairman Don McLeroy: “How Old Am I – 4,000 or 64,000,000 years?” Good question, Barney. We’d like to know the chairman’s answer as well. Barney was also seen handing […]
Your Words Say ‘No,’ But Your Lobbyist Says ‘Yes’
Creationist members of the State Board of Education repeatedly assert that their crusade to teach kids the “weaknesses” or “limitations” of evolution has nothing to do with religion. We heard it time and again at the state board hearing on Wednesday. One of the testifiers, Jonathan Saenz, tried to explain this to the Houston Chronicle: “The reality […]
Live Blogging from the SBOE Science Hearing, Part V
7:54 p.m. – Once again, a creationist board member (who makes a living as a weekly newspaper editor), challenges a scientist on his knowledge of science. Really. 8:10 p.m. – Board Chairman McLeroy just said he doesn’t know of any board member who has ever advocated teaching creationism in public schools. That’s not true, and […]
Live Blogging from the SBOE Science Hearings, Part IV
7 p.m. – Creationists on the board are moved by testimony from a college student who says arguments against evolution were censored in her science classes. She says: “(Evolution is) not total and complete fact, and to pretend it is so, you have to silence” arguments against it. Board member Mavis Knight, D-Dallas, isn’t buying […]
