We are grateful to TFN Insider visitors who say our blog has rapidly become an important news resource on issues ranging from science and science education to defending separation of church and state and religious freedom in Texas. So we were extra pleased to see Texas State Board of Education member David Bradley, R-Beaumont Buna, following along with TFN Insider at last month’s board debate over new public school science standards.
Check out Mr. Bradley’s computer screen. As a member of the board’s anti-science, creationist bloc, Mr. Bradley may not agree with the Texas Freedom Network on much, but he clearly knows where to go for good information.
Ha, he’s holding it upside down!
Ha! Very good photo! Several SBOE members and TEA staff were reading my live blog, too. (TFN Note: Steve’s blog is available here.)
All three live blogs of the meetings were pro-science. The Creationist activists in the audience (Luskin, etc.) were too busy to write live blogs because they were texting their seven crony SBOE members in-the-DI-pocket with new amendments to propose. Our side, on the other hand, trusted the eight pro-science SBOE members to think for themselves. That turned out to be a mistake. They compromised accurate science education away. The new standards are not anti-scientific, but they are sub-standard standards, unlike the very good standards submitted by the original standards-writing panels composed of real scientists and science teachers. This is what happens when ideologically-motivated politicians make sausage out of science standards.
The process is certainly flawed when one can introduce on-the-spot amendments without an imposed time for publication, evaluation, and public comment before amendments can be adopted.
Processes where boards are given responsibility to act in the public interest should be limited in their power to push through agendas without the opportunity for informed consideration by all concerned.
There are many models throughout the country of how public, government boards operate transparently and with self-limiting powers which could go a long way into preventing such spectacles as what happened in Texas – no matter on which side of an issue one may be.
I wouldn’t worry too much about this issue. I personally think that allowing a discussion of creationism into the classroom could be one of the best things to happen. All the kids of today are getting now on this topic is coming from their church and parents. Imagine these kids coming homr from school after a discussion of evolutoin and creationism in a scince classroom! I have to laugh out loud as the anti science creationists are confronted by their young kids coming home and informing their parents that they must be crazy to believe in something as ridiculous as a 10,000 year old earth or dino bones put into the ground by God! I think that the creationists should be careful what they ask for…….Once again, I prefer this converstaion takes place in a science classroom than behind the closed doors of a religious institution where no one is allowed or willing to confront the total lack of evidence for creationism.