But plans for the Institute for Creation Research Masters Degree in Creationistic Biology for High School Teachers is out of Texas.
Members of the Academic Excellence and Research Committee and the Participation and Success Committee voted unanimously to approve the recommendation of Raymund Paredes, the state's commissioner of higher education, not to approve the Institute's application. The full Coordinating Board will vote on the committees' recommendation on Thursday.
"The issue before the Coordinating Board isn't about academic freedom or free speech. The issue is whether the state will sanction the teaching of religion as science. Committee members today recognized that doing so would be a disservice both to science and to faith.
Just as important, our state's leaders have said that they want our public schools to do a better job preparing students for college and the jobs of the 21st century. If we're serious about that goal, then we must be serious about how we train our teachers. Approving an advanced degree in science education from an institution that doesn't really teach science would represent a huge step backward."
Yeee hawww!!!!!
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There's hope for Texas! I wish I wasn't amazed, but I am. I'd expected an 11th-hour victory for ICR. But Texas chose science! Go, Texas!
And Greg - I totally concur with the sentiment of your illustration. ;-) That was awesome.
"Approving an advanced degree in science education from an institution that doesn't really teach science would represent a huge step backward." Finally, someone from texas says something that makes sense. Maybe Texas should export a few more of these Deciders, instead of the one they sent to DC 7 years ago.
At leaet we know that Higher Education in Texas is in good hands. Now if the churches would ease up on interfering with the primary and secondary education systems, well we could breathe a bit easy.
There are a lot of ignorant people from Texas but G. W. Bush isn't one of them - he was born in CT. The problem with the religious nuts might not go away soon; they comprise about 50% of the Republican party here. Thank goodness the other 50% find them embarrassing (as do most Democrats).