The Texas State Board of Education on Wednesday took a preliminary vote to compromise on a pair of high-school science standards that critics say encouraged the teaching of creationism.As the article points out, Texas has had a long and heated battle with creationists on the board, led by Cargill and Don McLeroy, continually watering down the standards. Hopefully, things will look up for students of science in Texas.
The 15-member board voted unanimously to change language in its standards to take the pressure off teachers to delve deep in evaluating cell biology and DNA evolution.
"I was very pleased with how smoothly everything went," said Ron Wetherington, an evolutionary anthropologist at Southern Methodist University and member of the High School Biology Streamlining Committee that recommended the board modify language in the standards to save teachers class time.
Standards using words like "analyze and evaluate" are like "dogs whistles," he said, that ideological groups see as an opening to explore creationism and intelligent design as explanations for the origin of life.
The first change to the standards, if confirmed by a second vote on Friday, would require students to "compare and contrast scientific explanations" for the complexity of cells, instead of "evaluate." The change would return the standard to the original language recommended by the committee, reversing an addition in February authored by Republican board member Barbara Cargill of The Woodlands.
Thursday, April 20, 2017
Texas State Board of Education In the Crosshairs Again
The Texas State Board of Education is revising standards for science again, in response to criticisms that they allow for the teaching of creationism. Andrea Zelinski, of the Houston Chronicle, writes:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I don't mind busting your bubble, but that story is grossly inaccurate. Kathy Miller of the Texas Freedom Network issued a press release on Wenesday after the initial vote on the new science standards. She stated "If approved on a final vote Friday, the revised standards would largely remove curriculum standards the state board added in 2009 in an effort to undermine instruction on evolution in science classrooms." This statement can only be regarded as either schizophrenic or disingenuous.
ReplyDeleteWhat really happened was the board approved by 15-0 votes, standards that have the students "compare and contrast scientific explanations for the complexity of "prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells," "examine scientific explanations for the origin of DNA," and "examine scientific explanations of abrupt appearance and stasis in the fossil record."
The old requirements all remain with clearer and plainer language.
The Chronicle story is extremely misleading and poor reporting. Also, the Texas Tribune story was similarly misleading. The best reporting was from the Austin American-Statesman by Julie Chang.
I would imagine that the vote today will confirm the preliminary vote.
Don McLeroy
I do not mind busting your bubble, but this story is highly inaccurate. Kathy Miller of the Texas Freedom Network issued a press release after the state board's preliminary vote on Wednesday. This statement can only be described as schizophrenic or disingenuous. She stated "If approved on a final vote Friday, the revised standards would largely remove curriculum standards the state board added in 2009 in an effort to undermine instruction on evolution in science classrooms."
ReplyDeleteWhat actually happened was the board adopted standards, with unanimous 15-0 votes, that kept the previous controversial standards but with clearer language. They read “compare and contrast scientific explanations for" the complexity of prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, "examine scientific explanations for the origin of DNA," and "examine scientific explanations of abrupt appearance and stasis in the fossil record."
Evidently, the reporter at the Chronicle relied too heavily on the false statement of Texas Freedom Network's Kathy Miller. The story in the Texas Tribune is similarly inaccurate. The best coverage on the vote was by Julie Chang in the Austin American-Statesman.
It is highly likely that the final book today will confirm the vote on Wednesday.
Don McLeroy
Thank you for your comments, Don. As someone who has been intimately involved in the process, they are very welcome. I will hunt up the Julie Chang story.
ReplyDeleteThe complexity standard was slightly amended today to make it even clearer and stronger. In the adopted version it reads:"compare and contrast prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells, including their complexity, and compare and contrast scientific explanations for cellular complexity." The TFN has lost all credibility today. I don't understand; they have never been this disingenuous.
ReplyDelete