Science Education Is Under Attack in the State of Texas (Again)

By scientificactivist on March 9, 2009.

What else is new?

Via Greg Laden comes news that creationists are once again mucking about with Texas' education standards. The National Center for Science Education (NCSE) explains just what's at stake:

A number of amendments to the science TEKS were passed at the January 2009 meeting. Here is a brief analysis of these amendments, and why they are problematic for science education in Texas.

In general, the amendments single out topics touching on evolution (including the age and evolution of Earth and the universe as a whole) from other scientific topics included in the TEKS. They uniformly weaken the presentation of these subjects, incorrectly communicating to students that evolution and cosmology are more tentative than the scientific community considers them. Many of the amendments would open the door to the inclusion of creationist ideas.

The amendments should be rejected for reasons of scientific accuracy and pedagogical appropriateness.

But, have no fear! If you live in Texas, you can help out by contacting your State Board of Education Member. Check out the entries at Greg Laden's Blog and the NCSE for the details.

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