Saturday, November 23, 2013

Last minute challenge by Creationists blocks acceptance of new Texas biology textbooks until experts can be brought in to check "errors" concerning evolution. (For the uninitiated "errors" means facts that they don't like.)

Courtesy of USA Today:  

The Texas Board of Education used a late-night meeting to preliminarily approve new science textbooks for classrooms across the state late Thursday night, but it blocked signing off on a major new biology text until alleged "errors" in lessons over the theory of evolution are checked by outside experts. 

The vote just before midnight did not reject the biology book by Pearson, one of the country's largest publishers. But it delayed approval until three board members appoint a trio of outside experts to check concerns. 

Textbook and classroom curriculum battles have long raged in Texas pitting creationists — those who see God's hand in the creation of the universe — against academics who worry about religious and political ideology trumping scientific fact. At issue this time are proposed high school biology books that could be used across the state at least through 2022. 

Publishers from around the country submitted proposed textbooks this summer, but committees of Texas volunteer reviewers — some nominated by socially conservative current and former Board of Education members — raised objections. One argued that creationism based on biblical texts should be taught in science classes, while others objected that climate change wasn't as settled a scientific matter as some of the proposed books said. 

Pearson and many other major publishers weren't willing to make suggested major edits and changes, however. 

That promoted some of the board's socially conservative members to call for delaying approval of the book because of concerns including how long it took Earth to cool and objection to lessons about natural selection because "selection operates as a selective but not a creative force." 

Members outside the socially conservative bloc claimed their colleagues waited until the dead of night to try and impose ideological edits. 

"To ask me — a business degree major from Texas Tech University — to distinguish whether the Earth cooled 4 billion years ago or 4.2 billion years ago for purposes of approving a textbook at 10:15 on a Thursday night is laughable," said Thomas Ratliff, a Republican from Mount Pleasant. 

He added: "I believe this process is being hijacked, this book is being held hostage to make political changes."

Damn I am tired of this crap.

how about we declare a truce, we won't insist that scientifically verifiable facts be placed in the Bible, and these idiots can stop trying to sneak their belief system into our science books.

Seem fair?

11 comments:

  1. Leland6:24 AM

    "how about we declare a truce, we won't insist that scientifically verifiable facts be placed in the Bible, and these idiots can stop trying to sneak their belief system into our science books."

    Sorry, Gryphen, but that idea won't work because as soon as they have that agreement, they will begin to attempt to get creationism in public schools and BITCH when someone points out to them the agreement. OR they will complain the secular people are attempting to prevent their freedom of speech - while still refusing to allow the reverse idea.

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  2. Irishgirl7:19 AM

    The Texas State Board of Education voted to approve a Houghton Mifflin environmental science textbook Friday, after some thought advocates for the oil and gas industry had tried to "hijack" the book’s adoption process.

    Weighing which textbooks to approve, the board has been holding public hearings and review committees for months. There had been no concerns over the environmental textbook until a Wednesday hearing, where oil and gas professional Becky Berger attempted to persuade the board against the book's adoption.

    On Thursday, nonpartisan watchdog Texas Freedom Network expressed concerns that the board would not approve the book, as a result of Berger's testimony.

    “[The board] made clear that the textbook’s adoption was now in question,” said Texas Freedom Network. “The entire episode showed just how easy it is for special interests, at the last minute, to hijack the textbook adoption process in Texas."

    In addition to the environmental science book, all the proposed biology textbooks were also adopted, even after opposition from creationists over the texts' teaching the theory of evolution, according to The Associated Press.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/22/texas-environmental-science-textbook_n_4326160.html

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  3. Anonymous8:04 AM

    Since hard copy books are going the way of the dinosaurs, I suggest that if the TX people want one digital (or paper since they are so backward) version of the books let them have it and let other states have their own digital correct copies of the "books". When their students flunk the SAT, ACT or whatever other exams needed to get into a college or university maybe then they will step into the 2st century.

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    Replies
    1. Good idea.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:25 AM

      Well, no not really. Hard copy textbooks will be around for quite a while yet, many families and students can't afford devices for digital media, they aren't quite as reliable yet as a physical book (books don't have software/hardware/firmware/lack of power issues, etc.) and the reading skills needed to gather information from a electronic device (EVEN if the content is the same) are much harder to develop.

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    3. Anonymous10:51 AM

      And don't any of us have any responsibility to fight for students to be able to learn facts and compete in our world - do we just fold to teach their parents (or a vocal minority of parents) a lesson? Thanks to those who continue to fight for science to be taught to all public education students.

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  4. hedgewytch8:16 AM

    And just who is going to "approve" the "experts" that will be reviewing this book? If they aren't evolutionary scientists then they have no right to critique it. After all you don't get a plumber to review Law Statues do you?

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:59 AM

      Having religious experts reviewing science books makes about as much sense as having representatives of oil companies testifying about how safe drilling and fracking are to the environment!

      Or maybe we could have legislators who are accepting campaign contributions from big business determining what kind of regulations those businesses should follow. Oh, wait...

      Delete
  5. If these creationists really have a problem with science, they should stop using electricity.

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  6. Anonymous12:52 PM

    Man those bastards never give up. It's their m.o. They just keep grinding away hoping to wear any opposition down.
    No quarter, mofos

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  7. Anita Winecooler6:08 PM

    You're MORE than fair. What's "a business degree major from Texas Tech University" know about pesky little things called "Facts"?

    I'm at the point that I think they get some kind of perverted pleasure from being willfully incurious and ignorant on every issue imaginable.

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