Latest Challenges to the Teaching of Evolution

Alberta passes controversial human rights law
(Trish Audette, Canwest News Service, June 2, 2009)

EDMONTON -- The Alberta government ushered in controversial changes to Alberta's human rights laws early Tuesday morning, bringing a five-week battle over the nature of rights to a close.

Bill 44 introduced to Alberta's Human Rights Act the right for parents to pull their children from classrooms in which teachers discuss sexual orientation, sexuality, or religion. The parental rights amendment was included with a motion to enshrine gay rights in the province.

Although Premier Ed Stelmach had allowed his caucus a free vote, Bill 44's third reading passed by a margin of 35 to seven after hours of heated debate, with all of the Tories in the house supporting and all of the Liberal and NDP opposition members voting against the bill.

Critics had said the bill would create a two-tier Human Rights Act and force teachers and school boards to defend themselves before quasi-judicial human rights commissions for discussing sexual orientation and religion in the classroom.

In turn, a "chill" against discussing controversial issues might set in among teachers, opposition parties alleged.

But the government had been largely immoveable. For weeks, the minister responsible for enshrining parental rights and protecting gay rights has said little will change at the end of the day.

"This will come to pass, [and] you guys will forget about this in another month," Culture Minister Lindsay Blackett told reporters last week. "Talk to me in a year."

MLAs spent part of the night debating a Liberal amendment to stop Bill 44 in its tracks.

Halting the changes to the Human Rights Act, the Liberals said, would hold off a "chill... that will adversely affect Alberta's education system."

Through the evening, prior to a final vote on the Act, opposition NDP and Liberal MLAs attacked the parental opt-out provision, questioning the long-term fallout for Alberta's classrooms.

"We will all spend a lot of money to be told Alberta's human rights code is substandard to the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms," Edmonton-Strathcona NDP MLA Rachel Notley said, wondering at potential costs to the province for future appeals of the parental rights provision.

Calgary-Buffalo Liberal MLA Kent Hehr called the parental rights clause a compromise to bring in protections for sexual orientation. "I think at the end of the day it was a dirty little trade."

Education Minister Dave Hancock said his job would now include working with the Alberta Teachers' Association, who fervently opposed the proposed law.

"Once the bill is in place then we work together to make sure that it doesn't put the chill effect that they're concerned about in the classroom."

Last week, the province clarified some of the language in the bill, highlighting teachers should still be free to talk about sexual orientation or religion incidentally without notifying parents. Also, the proposed changes indicate people complaining to the human rights commission should show they first went through other avenues of complaint.

In turn, a "chill" against discussing controversial issues might set in among teachers, opposition parties alleged.

Legislative battles indicate culture wars still take toll
(By KATHY MILLER, Houston Chronicle, Commentary, June 5, 2009)

National elections last November seemed to signal that voters are exhausted by relentless battles over divisive social issues. But the recently ended legislative session showed that the culture wars still thrive in Texas.

Whether the Legislature would ban public funding for embryonic stem cell research, for example, was a key battle in debates over the state budget. In addition, the governor and abortion opponents pushed for “Choose Life” license plates for cars.

But deep divisions over the State Board of Education and sex education truly illuminated the staying power of the culture wars in our state’s political life.

Over the past two years, the SBOE has lurched from one embarrassing controversy to another. On matters like language arts standards, public school Bible classes and even the adoption of mathematics textbooks, the board had become a dysfunctional mess.

The recent controversy over science was especially messy. Some of the state’s most respected scientists " including Nobel laureates " were practically reduced to begging board creationists not to undermine instruction on evolution.

So a bipartisan group of legislators offered more than a dozen bills to shield education from politics. Key bills would have removed or limited the board’s authority over setting curriculum standards and adopting textbooks.

It was clear that many lawmakers " Republicans and Democrats " understood that the SBOE had become an obstacle to ensuring that Texas schoolchildren get a sound education.

But social conservatives pleased with a state board that embraces the culture wars put intense pressure on lawmakers. Support for SBOE reform bills gradually faded among Republicans as all legislation dealing with the board had to pass a socially conservative litmus test. For example, a day after the House gave preliminary approval to a bill simply putting the board under periodic review by the Sunset Advisory Commission, the House reversed course and rejected it. Republican lawmakers told reporters that opposing the bill became a test of party loyalty " and all of them wanted to avoid the wrath of social conservatives in GOP primaries.

Lawmakers also sought to deal with the failure of sex education in Texas public schools. The rising rate of teen births in Texas is one of the nation’s highest. Moreover, the state spends more than $1 billion annually on teen pregnancies. Yet more than 9 in 10 school districts teach no medically accurate information about pregnancy and disease prevention except abstinence-only-until-marriage. A two-year study showed that those abstinence-only programs were filled with factual errors, dated gender stereotypes and wildly exaggerated failure rates for contraception and disease prevention methods.

Lawmakers proposed solutions based on common sense. One required school districts that offer sex education to teach students about contraception and preventing sexually transmitted diseases. Another required that anything taught in sex education classes be medically accurate according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and associations like the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Opponents said the bills were backed by abortion providers who simply wanted to “censor” information in classrooms and promote “recreational and gay sex” " outrageous claims for measures simply calling for medical accuracy in health classes.

Opportunities for rational discussion faded quickly. So when House members were asked to vote on requiring medically accurate information in sex education classes, House opponents killed the measure with a parliamentary move so they wouldn’t even have to discuss it on the floor.

As a result, little has changed in Texas at the end of a long legislative session. Statistics show that a Texas teen still gets pregnant every 10 minutes. Students are still being told that condoms and other forms of contraception and disease prevention are virtually useless.

State Board of Education members have already promised that the revision of social studies standards will be even more controversial than the science revision. But the culture warriors are happy.

The culture wars may be fading across the rest of the country. But they’re still causing casualties in Texas.

Irving School District trustee says despite personal beliefs, she won't push intelligent design
(By KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News / June 7, 2009)

New Irving school board trustee Heather Ashley says that she is a creationist and supports the teaching of intelligent design " though she knows she can't have any impact at the local level on the teaching of evolution.

"I am not going to, as a school board member, set curriculum that teaches only one point of view," she said. "I think we should have the possibility of teachers exposing students to different perspectives, which should include intelligent design."

That view comes at an interesting time in the evolution debate.

The state Senate rejected Republican Don McLeroy's nomination to chairman of the State Board of Education recently after Democrats said he lacked leadership while serving as chairman in the "endless culture wars" over teaching evolution. He's a critic of evolution.

Ashley, 30, said that she realizes decisions about the teaching of evolution happen at the state level and that she didn't run for the school board to change its teaching.

The State Board of Education recently adopted state science standards that mandate coverage of evolution in science classes and textbooks, although students will be required to consider "all sides of scientific evidence" for evolution and other theories.

"I'm not going to campaign for intelligent design," Ashley said. "That's not why I'm on the board."

Intelligent design theory holds that the origin of the universe and humans is best explained by an unknown "intelligent cause," rather than natural selection. Critics contend it is creationism in disguise.

The new trustee, who grew up attending Irving ISD schools, ran unopposed in last month's election and replaced trustee Randy Stipes.

On her résumé she lists that in 2000, she was a fellow for the conservative Family Research Council, which is affiliated with Focus on the Family, a group founded by James Dobson. Ashley said she also supports abstinence-only education.

Lewisville Trinity Baptist Church pastor Terry Bowman said that Ashley, who is a church pianist and teaches vacation Bible school, is very cooperative.

"I think she has some strong convictions concerning family and morality," he said.

René Castilla, chairman of the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce education committee, which has been critical of the Irving school board in the past, said he hopes that Ashley understands that the state curriculum calls for teaching just evolution.

"As long as she understands she's not going to be in any position to make a difference, that's fine," said Castilla, a North Lake College dean and a former DISD board president. "She's got a lot to learn. She's probably going to learn it's going to be hard to impose her religious views in a public school system."

While at the Family Research Council, Ashley said, she worked under Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, known for his opposition to gays in the military. She said her involvement with the group had "more of a national focus than a local focus."

"And while my views may be the same or different, the most important thing to me is school board issues," she said. "I'm not sure my opinion on national missile defense or gays in the military would have anything to do with being a school board member."

Ashley has a master's degree from the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. School board President Jerry Christian said she volunteered for his election campaign.

"She was interested in politics and learning the ropes of campaigns," he said.

Ashley works as a choral specialist at Pender's Music Co., which sells sheet music to the school district. She played trombone in the Irving High School band and said music education is a priority. She recently was co-chairwoman of the district improvement committee, which sets goals on issues ranging from school security to Advanced Placement test scores.

"My goal is to serve my community," she said.

At 30, she's the youngest trustee on a board made up of retired educators and parents of teens. She has no children.

Cara Hinkson, vice principal of Bowie Middle School and Ashley's childhood friend, said the new trustee represents the "next generation," on the board and "someone who's philanthropic in their youth."

"It's unusual to find a professional outside the education world who can follow the conversation and the acronyms we speak in " the TEKS, TAKS, AP, GT," Hinkson said. "You don't have to sit and explain everything to her. She's able to understand it intelligently."

Ashley said she supports the expansion of the district's dual-language programs, which teach half the time in Spanish and half in English.

She has volunteered reading to children at Good Elementary, which she attended, and served on that school's improvement committee. Last year, the school was nearly 91 percent Hispanic, 89 percent low-income and 77 percent limited English proficient. And it was also rated "recognized" under the state's school accountability system.

"Those kids succeed at a level you wouldn't expect," Ashley said. "They are the top of the heap when it comes to TAKS scores. It proves that no matter what your background, you can succeed."

TEXAS UPDATE

Quote:

Irving School District trustee says despite personal beliefs, she won't push intelligent design
(By KATHERINE LEAL UNMUTH / The Dallas Morning News / June 7, 2009)

New Irving school board trustee Heather Ashley says that she is a creationist and supports the teaching of intelligent design " though she knows she can't have any impact at the local level on the teaching of evolution.

"I am not going to, as a school board member, set curriculum that teaches only one point of view," she said. "I think we should have the possibility of teachers exposing students to different perspectives, which should include intelligent design."

That view comes at an interesting time in the evolution debate.

The state Senate rejected Republican Don McLeroy's nomination to chairman of the State Board of Education recently after Democrats said he lacked leadership while serving as chairman in the "endless culture wars" over teaching evolution. He's a critic of evolution.

Ashley, 30, said that she realizes decisions about the teaching of evolution happen at the state level and that she didn't run for the school board to change its teaching.

The State Board of Education recently adopted state science standards that mandate coverage of evolution in science classes and textbooks, although students will be required to consider "all sides of scientific evidence" for evolution and other theories.

"I'm not going to campaign for intelligent design," Ashley said. "That's not why I'm on the board."

Intelligent design theory holds that the origin of the universe and humans is best explained by an unknown "intelligent cause," rather than natural selection. Critics contend it is creationism in disguise.

The new trustee, who grew up attending Irving ISD schools, ran unopposed in last month's election and replaced trustee Randy Stipes.

On her résumé she lists that in 2000, she was a fellow for the conservative Family Research Council, which is affiliated with Focus on the Family, a group founded by James Dobson. Ashley said she also supports abstinence-only education.

Lewisville Trinity Baptist Church pastor Terry Bowman said that Ashley, who is a church pianist and teaches vacation Bible school, is very cooperative.

"I think she has some strong convictions concerning family and morality," he said.

René Castilla, chairman of the Greater Irving-Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce education committee, which has been critical of the Irving school board in the past, said he hopes that Ashley understands that the state curriculum calls for teaching just evolution.

"As long as she understands she's not going to be in any position to make a difference, that's fine," said Castilla, a North Lake College dean and a former DISD board president. "She's got a lot to learn. She's probably going to learn it's going to be hard to impose her religious views in a public school system."

While at the Family Research Council, Ashley said, she worked under Lt. Col. Robert Maginnis, known for his opposition to gays in the military. She said her involvement with the group had "more of a national focus than a local focus."

"And while my views may be the same or different, the most important thing to me is school board issues," she said. "I'm not sure my opinion on national missile defense or gays in the military would have anything to do with being a school board member."

Ashley has a master's degree from the George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. School board President Jerry Christian said she volunteered for his election campaign.

"She was interested in politics and learning the ropes of campaigns," he said.

Ashley works as a choral specialist at Pender's Music Co., which sells sheet music to the school district. She played trombone in the Irving High School band and said music education is a priority. She recently was co-chairwoman of the district improvement committee, which sets goals on issues ranging from school security to Advanced Placement test scores.

"My goal is to serve my community," she said.

At 30, she's the youngest trustee on a board made up of retired educators and parents of teens. She has no children.

Cara Hinkson, vice principal of Bowie Middle School and Ashley's childhood friend, said the new trustee represents the "next generation," on the board and "someone who's philanthropic in their youth."

"It's unusual to find a professional outside the education world who can follow the conversation and the acronyms we speak in " the TEKS, TAKS, AP, GT," Hinkson said. "You don't have to sit and explain everything to her. She's able to understand it intelligently."

Ashley said she supports the expansion of the district's dual-language programs, which teach half the time in Spanish and half in English.

She has volunteered reading to children at Good Elementary, which she attended, and served on that school's improvement committee. Last year, the school was nearly 91 percent Hispanic, 89 percent low-income and 77 percent limited English proficient. And it was also rated "recognized" under the state's school accountability system.

"Those kids succeed at a level you wouldn't expect," Ashley said. "They are the top of the heap when it comes to TAKS scores. It proves that no matter what your background, you can succeed."

Sagest of women, even of widows, she
Resolved that Juan should be quite a paragon,
And worthy of the noblest pedigree
(His sire was of Castile, his dam from Aragon):
Then for accomplishments of chivalry,
In case our lord the king should go to war again,
He learn'd the arts of riding, fencing, gunnery,
And how to scale a fortress--or a nunnery.

But that which Donna Inez most desired,
And saw into herself each day before all
The learned tutors whom for him she hired,
Was, that his breeding should be strictly moral;
Much into all his studies she inquired,
And so they were submitted first to her, all,
Arts, sciences, no branch was made a mystery
To Juan's eyes, excepting natural history.

The languages, especially the dead,
The sciences, and most of all the abstruse,
The arts, at least all such as could be said
To be the most remote from common use,
In all these he was much and deeply read;
But not a page of any thing that 's loose,
Or hints continuation of the species,
Was ever suffer'd, lest he should grow vicious.

Perhaps Heather knows her Byron--

Quote:

Sagest of women, even of widows, she
Resolved that Juan should be quite a paragon,
And worthy of the noblest pedigree
(His sire was of Castile, his dam from Aragon):
Then for accomplishments of chivalry,
In case our lord the king should go to war again,
He learn'd the arts of riding, fencing, gunnery,
And how to scale a fortress--or a nunnery.

But that which Donna Inez most desired,
And saw into herself each day before all
The learned tutors whom for him she hired,
Was, that his breeding should be strictly moral;
Much into all his studies she inquired,
And so they were submitted first to her, all,
Arts, sciences, no branch was made a mystery
To Juan's eyes, excepting natural history.

The languages, especially the dead,
The sciences, and most of all the abstruse,
The arts, at least all such as could be said
To be the most remote from common use,
In all these he was much and deeply read;
But not a page of any thing that 's loose,
Or hints continuation of the species,
Was ever suffer'd, lest he should grow vicious.