Latest Challenges to the Teaching of Evolution

Education Board in Texas Faces Curbs
(By STEPHANIE SIMON, The Wall Street Journal, April 13, 2009)

Texas state legislators are considering reining in the Board of Education amid frustration with the board's politically charged debate over how to teach evolution.

The board last month approved a science curriculum that opens the door for teachers and textbooks to introduce creationist objections to evolution's explanation of the origin and progression of life forms. Other parts of the curriculum were carefully worded to raise doubts about global warming and the big-bang theory of how the universe began.

While the science standards have drawn the most attention, the 15-member elected board has been embroiled in other controversies as well. Last year, it rejected a reading curriculum that teachers had spent nearly three years drafting. In its place, the board approved a document that a few members hastily assembled just hours before the vote.

Some lawmakers -- mostly Democrats -- say they have had enough.

The most far-reaching proposals would strip the Texas board of its authority to set curricula and approve textbooks. Depending on the bill, that power would be transferred to the state education agency, a legislative board or the commissioner of education. Other bills would transform the board to an appointed rather than elected body, require Webcasting of meetings, and take away the board's control of a vast pot of school funding. Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican, hasn't taken a position on specific bills, a spokeswoman said.

"At this point, a lot of us are questioning...whether the state Board of Education serves a purpose anymore," said state Rep. Donna Howard, a Democrat.

Most state boards of education oversee curricula and assessment tests, but responsibilities for textbooks and school funding vary from state to state.

Board members, who aren't paid, object to most legislative meddling.

"As crazy as the Texas Board of Education is, there are just as many crazies, percentage-wise, in the state Legislature," said board member Pat Hardy. Another member, Cynthia Dunbar, said the board's fierce debates should be seen as a sign that all views are well represented.

While the Legislature debates the board's future, candidates on the left and right are gearing up for 2010, when eight seats will be on the ballot. Results of that election could affect how the new science standards are interpreted -- and which biology texts the board approves in 2011. Texas is one of about 20 states that require local districts to buy only textbooks approved by the state board.

Over the years, the Texas board has been aggressive about editing submitted textbooks before granting approval. Publishers have been asked to delete -- among other things -- favorable references to Islam, discussions of global warming, and illustrations of breast and testicular self-exams, according to the Texas Freedom Network, a nonprofit that calls itself a counterweight to the religious right.

The Texas market is so large and lucrative that it is hard to brush off the board's requests -- especially because publishers often come before the board already having spent tens of millions of dollars to create a curriculum that meets state standards, said Jay Diskey, executive director of the school division at the Association of American Publishers.

The state expects to spend nearly $600 million on science textbooks in 2011 and 2012.

Kenneth R. Miller, co-author of several popular biology textbooks, said he inserted a header about the "strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory" before bringing his latest book before the board several years ago.

But Mr. Miller, a professor at Brown University, said the text below the header was unchanged from previous editions. It explored "unsolved puzzles of evolution," such as why sexual reproduction is ubiquitous or how the first life arose. None of the questions, he said, cast doubt on the basic premise of evolution.

"We will do whatever we think is appropriate to meet the spirit and the letter of Texas standards," he said. "We will never put anything in our books that will compromise our scientific values."

Parsons asserted that there were two dimensions to societies: instrumental and expressive. By this he meant that there are qualitative differences between kinds of social interaction.

He observed that people can have personalized and formally detached relationships based on the roles that they play. The characteristics that were associated with each kind of interaction he called the pattern variables.

Some examples of expressive societies would include families, churches, clubs, crowds, and smaller social settings. Examples of instrumental societies would include bureaucracies, aggregates, and markets.

TEXAS UPDATE

Quote:

Education Board in Texas Faces Curbs
(By STEPHANIE SIMON, The Wall Street Journal, April 13, 2009)

"As crazy as the Texas Board of Education is, there are just as many crazies, percentage-wise, in the state Legislature," said board member Pat Hardy.

Socially conservative bills stall in Florida Senate
(BY SHANNON COLAVECCHIO, Miami Herald, April 13, 2009)

Legislation that would open the door to school prayer and discourage teaching evolution has been declared dead. Prospects don't look good for a proposal to require ultrasounds for first-trimester abortions. Same goes for a bill to make marriage licenses more expensive for couples who don't take a premarriage education course.

Conservative Republicans' hallmark legislation, some from sessions past, is stagnating this session, victim of the all-consuming state budget deficit and the political realities of a Senate that is Republican, but moderately so.

''Some of these things would definitely pass in the House,'' said Sen. Mike Fasano, R-New Port Richey. ``But in the Senate, the numbers just aren't there.''

The Senate has 40 members, and the chamber's committees are smaller than those of the 120-member House. That means just one or two moderate Republicans on a committee can kill a bill right out of the gate.

''You get one or two leaning with the other side,'' Fasano said, ``and that's it.''

Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Niceville, chairs the Senate health regulation committee -- first stop for the controversial abortion bill by Sen. Andy Gardiner, R-Orlando. SB1854 would require doctors providing first-trimester abortions to perform ultrasounds, and that doctors give women the option of seeing the image unless they sign a waiver opting out.

Gaetz said he hasn't scheduled the bill for consideration because ``the feeling is, the votes aren't there.''

The political math backs him up.

The eight-member committee includes just three Democrats, but two of the Republicans -- Mike Bennett of Bradenton and Dennis Jones of Treasure Island -- voted against similar legislation on the floor of the Senate last year, killing it in a rare 20-20 vote during the final days of the 2008 session. That means the committee is likely to kill it in a 5-3 vote.

Mike McCarron is executive director of the Florida Catholic Conference, which supports the ultrasound bill.

''Absolutely, we're disappointed,'' he said. ``Occasionally, you'll get the attitude of statesmen being willing to move a bill out of committee so that it can at least be considered and heard. But when you're dealing with legislation that is controversial, they're more inclined to keep bills they don't like from going forward.''

The House companion, by Miami Republican Rep. Anitere Flores, cleared its first committee in a 5-2 partisan vote last month but hasn't moved since. Flores said she wants to keep pursuing the abortion legislation this session, but she concedes the Senate isn't showing enthusiasm.

''They've sent the message they don't necessarily have the appetite for some of these social issues this year,'' Flores said. ``I'm personally disappointed. I think it's an issue that is important for Florida, important for the women of Florida. ``

Sen. Ronda Storms, R-Valrico, sponsored the ultrasound bill last year, along with a controversial measure against the teaching of evolution in schools. This year, she is proposing legislation that promotes a premarital education course. Like the evolution bill last year, it is backed by the conservative Florida Family Policy Council.

Storms also is sponsoring a bill to allow for ''inspirational messages,'' including student-led prayer, at public school events. She pulled the school prayer bill before it could be heard in its first Senate committee last month, and the House companion hasn't been heard at all.

Gaetz said he ''let it be known'' to Storms that he had ''problems'' with the bill, including concerns over its constitutionality.

The eight-member education committee that was supposed to consider the bill includes three Democrats, but if Gaetz had voted no, it would die in a 4-4 tie.

''The question becomes, how much political effort do you want to make if you think the votes aren't in the committee,'' Storms said.

This session, with the state facing a $3 billion deficit, the bulk of political efforts are being spent on the budget and debates between the House and Senate about how to balance cuts with new revenues from such things as a cigarette tax and expanded gambling.

''It's clear we have moved few substantive bills this session,'' Flores said. ``While the budget is not the only thing, it certainly takes up a lot of our time.''

Fasano and Flores believe socially conservative legislation might have better chances at passing in coming years, as term limits create more turnover and more Republicans jump from the House to the Senate.

''As a result of term limits, we've already seen a very quick shift in the makeup of the House,'' Flores said. ``And we'll see the full effect of term limits in 2010 with both chambers.''

Flores said she'll be ready to try again with her ultrasound bill when the political air is ripe.

``If we can't do it this year, we'll try again next year.''

FLORIDA UPDATE

Quote:

Socially conservative bills stall in Florida Senate
(BY SHANNON COLAVECCHIO, Miami Herald, April 13, 2009)

Conservative Republicans' hallmark legislation, some from sessions past, is stagnating this session, victim of the all-consuming state budget deficit and the political realities of a Senate that is Republican, but moderately so.

I’m sorry to say this at Easter, but the older I get, the more I think Richard Dawkins might be on to something. How depressing is that?

Dallas-based Institute for Creation Research sues state over denial of its master's program
(By HOLLY K. HACKER / The Dallas Morning News / April 20, 2009)

The Institute for Creation Research has taken its fight to train future science teachers to the courthouse.

The Dallas-based creationist group alleges that its civil rights were violated by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Last year, the state agency denied the institute permission to offer a master’s degree in science education, saying the program did not meet state academic standards.

The lawsuit, filed last week in U.S. District Court, alleges that the coordinating board discriminated against the institute because of its views on evolution.

Raymund Paredes, the state’s higher education commissioner, has said that the proposed master’s program would not prepare future educators to teach science standards in Texas public school classrooms.

Institute leaders have said they would teach both the creationist and evolutionist views, but that their group favors the former.