Print
Evolution and Texas
by NY Times
Thanks to Catalin Sandu for the link.
Reposted from:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/opinion/04tue3.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Is Texas about to become the next state to undermine the teaching of evolution? That is the scary implication of the abrupt ousting of Christine Comer, the state's top expert on science education. Her transgression: forwarding an e-mail message about a talk by a distinguished professor who debunks "intelligent design" and creationism as legitimate alternatives to evolution in the science curriculum.
In most states, we hope, the state department of education would take the lead in ensuring that students receive a sound scientific education. But it was the Texas Education Agency that pushed out Ms. Comer after 27 years as a science teacher and 9 years as the agency's director of science.
As Ralph Blumenthal reported in The Times yesterday, Ms. Comer forwarded to a local online community an e-mail message from a pro-evolution group announcing a talk by Barbara Forrest, a professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University. Professor Forrest testified as an expert witness in a 2005 Dover, Pa., case that found intelligent design supernatural and theological and definitely not part of a scientific education.
An hour later, Ms. Comer was called in by superiors, pressured to send out a retraction and ultimately forced to resign. Her departure was instigated by a new deputy commissioner who had served as an adviser to George Bush when he was governor of Texas and more recently worked in the federal Department of Education.
It was especially disturbing that the agency accused Ms. Comer — by forwarding the e-mail message — of taking a position on "a subject on which the agency must remain neutral." Surely the agency should not remain neutral on the central struggle between science and religion in the public schools. It should take a stand in favor of evolution as a central theory in modern biology. Texas's own education standards require the teaching of evolution.
Those standards are scheduled to be reviewed next year. Ms. Comer's dismissal and comments in favor of intelligent design by the chairman of the state board of education do not augur well for that review. We can only hope that adherents of a sound science education can save Texas from a retreat into the darker ages.
ALSO SEE:
'Evolution Debate Led to Ouster, Official Says' by NY Times
and
'Official Leaves Post as Texas Prepares to Debate Science Education Standards' by NY Times
Reposted from:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/04/opinion/04tue3.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Is Texas about to become the next state to undermine the teaching of evolution? That is the scary implication of the abrupt ousting of Christine Comer, the state's top expert on science education. Her transgression: forwarding an e-mail message about a talk by a distinguished professor who debunks "intelligent design" and creationism as legitimate alternatives to evolution in the science curriculum.
In most states, we hope, the state department of education would take the lead in ensuring that students receive a sound scientific education. But it was the Texas Education Agency that pushed out Ms. Comer after 27 years as a science teacher and 9 years as the agency's director of science.
As Ralph Blumenthal reported in The Times yesterday, Ms. Comer forwarded to a local online community an e-mail message from a pro-evolution group announcing a talk by Barbara Forrest, a professor of philosophy at Southeastern Louisiana University. Professor Forrest testified as an expert witness in a 2005 Dover, Pa., case that found intelligent design supernatural and theological and definitely not part of a scientific education.
An hour later, Ms. Comer was called in by superiors, pressured to send out a retraction and ultimately forced to resign. Her departure was instigated by a new deputy commissioner who had served as an adviser to George Bush when he was governor of Texas and more recently worked in the federal Department of Education.
It was especially disturbing that the agency accused Ms. Comer — by forwarding the e-mail message — of taking a position on "a subject on which the agency must remain neutral." Surely the agency should not remain neutral on the central struggle between science and religion in the public schools. It should take a stand in favor of evolution as a central theory in modern biology. Texas's own education standards require the teaching of evolution.
Those standards are scheduled to be reviewed next year. Ms. Comer's dismissal and comments in favor of intelligent design by the chairman of the state board of education do not augur well for that review. We can only hope that adherents of a sound science education can save Texas from a retreat into the darker ages.
ALSO SEE:
'Evolution Debate Led to Ouster, Official Says' by NY Times
and
'Official Leaves Post as Texas Prepares to Debate Science Education Standards' by NY Times
Add to del.icio.us
Posted: Tuesday, December 4, 2007 | PermalinkComments 1 - 23 of 23 | | View Alternate Comment Thread
Reload Comments | Back to Top | Page Numbers2. Comment #94009 by DavidJGrossman on December 4, 2007 at 3:19 pm
And from Florida:http://blogs.tampabay.com/schools/2007/12/boe-member-i-wa.html
WTF?
- Dave
Other Comments by DavidJGrossman
3. Comment #94019 by hoyhoy on December 4, 2007 at 3:32 pm
American public schools are a complete waste of time. Science education is merely a second-rate cartoon exploration of reality administered by persons with little or no understanding of the universe. I disagree strongly with firing someone who champions reality over superstition, but chances are she is just as incompetent as the 99.999% of all science "teachers" over here in the fascist theocracy/corporatocracy. American education has as much to do with the enlightenment as the state papers of Chester A. Arthur. Its true purpose is to indoctrinate developing minds with propaganda and incitements of greed (Channel One).Other Comments by hoyhoy
4. Comment #94028 by Synaptix on December 4, 2007 at 3:46 pm
From a study posted today about how countries stack up against each other on science education it looks like the US didn't do to well. However Canada made 3rd place....I wonder what we are doing up here that the US isn't doing down there.http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2007/12/04/pisa-education-study.html
Other Comments by Synaptix
5. Comment #94030 by Kristian Z on December 4, 2007 at 3:47 pm
Didn't Dover put a stop to this nonsense? Legal precedent and all. Other Comments by Kristian Z
6. Comment #94058 by room101 on December 4, 2007 at 4:53 pm
Didn't Dover put a stop to this nonsense? Legal precedent and all.
Was only binding in PA...however, the ruling (hopefully) and the subsequent fallout (ridicule, cost, etc.) should force other states to ask themselves: "Do we really want to go there?"
Then again, look who we're dealing with.
Other Comments by room101
7. Comment #94087 by Tack on December 4, 2007 at 6:26 pm
If you're able to overcome the overwhelming urge to gouge out your own eyes and tear at your hair, have a look at the comments in the article linked by DavidJGrossman's post above. The level of ignorance and cluelessness is as prevalent there as ever -- creationists still trumpeting on with the tired and beaten irreducible complexity argument, and such.Other Comments by Tack
8. Comment #94090 by notsobad on December 4, 2007 at 6:33 pm
What about this one?http://fish.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/monkey-business/
Other Comments by notsobad
9. Comment #94093 by Jack Rawlinson on December 4, 2007 at 6:45 pm
Damn. I just completely accidentally flagged the last post as offensive. My finger slipped! Is there a way to take it back? Sorry notsobad! Other Comments by Jack Rawlinson
10. Comment #94099 by Satanburiedfossils on December 4, 2007 at 6:59 pm
A detailed scientific explanation of the theory of Intelligent Design (ID):Poof!! Voila, life.
Other Comments by Satanburiedfossils
11. Comment #94138 by action bastard on December 4, 2007 at 10:07 pm
Satan did in fact bury fossils. TEA would probably agree.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_BRZoXjOmI
Other Comments by action bastard
12. Comment #94141 by Don_Quix on December 4, 2007 at 10:25 pm
RE: Jack RawlinsonDamn. I just completely accidentally flagged the last post as offensive. My finger slipped! Is there a way to take it back? Sorry notsobad!
No, but don't worry, Jesus will take your intentions into consideration on judgment day. And then he will doom you to hell and eternal torture for some other, yet more minuscule, infraction.
Other Comments by Don_Quix
13. Comment #94209 by CJ22 on December 5, 2007 at 3:05 am
It never ceases to amaze me how mendacious the so-called 'pious' are prepared to be, seemingly at the drop of a hat. Therein lies the danger of moderate religion I suppose - you can use that faith to justify any manner of wickedness and stupidity. As long as it's for Jebus or Big Mo, anything is justified. Other Comments by CJ22
14. Comment #94212 by Philip1978 on December 5, 2007 at 3:11 am
Jack, take no heed of Don_Quix's prophesy, for he only heard the half of it- for it is written in the back pages of Snorry's favourite scrap book - Thor will pop along before heading off to Ragnerok , hurl his hammer and few Norwegian obscenities at Jesus and Jack will not be doomed!This article is scary - I really have a problem with this imaginary authority IDers think they deserve when it comes to education. Scientists work very hard to disprove their work, its not like they are making it all up and these idiots come along claiming magic and gods are the answer to something they obviously don't understand. This poor Ms. Comer is really being picked on and I abhor it - this is grounds for unfair dismissal and I hope she fights it. This article is right, it is a step further back to the dark ages if this is going to become the norm.
Philip
Other Comments by Philip1978
15. Comment #94231 by Kris Verburgh on December 5, 2007 at 4:06 am
Transgression? What transgression?Other Comments by Kris Verburgh
16. Comment #94290 by stephenray on December 5, 2007 at 6:51 am
It's a vicious circle.Kids don't know much about evolution because it isn't taught as thoroughly as it should be. Then because they don't know much about it they are easy meat for the ID pillocks who burble about there being 'no evidence' for evolution, or 'too many gaps', or whatever. So they say, 'sure, teach the controversy, whatever', which means kids don't know much about evolution because...
I think it was in Natalie Angier's book The Canon that she talks about a conference on evolution in which the scientists present new discovery after new discovery, building on what biologists already know is an indisputable mountain of evidence that proves evolution by natural selection as the explanation for the diversity of life.
All the journalists are demanding to know why they've never heard about this stuff before, why no-one told them about the overwhelming evidence...well, duh.
Other Comments by stephenray
17. Comment #94301 by thirdchimpanzee on December 5, 2007 at 7:56 am
I guess I'm an incorrigible optimist (which according to Atkins in Beyond Belief 2.0 makes me a scientist rather than a philosopher) - but the Texas story, and the Florida link (DavidJGrossman - #2 above) have me encouraged.It seems to me that the battle is being joined here, and the stakes are becoming clearer to everyone concerned. As a former High School Science Teacher in Canada, I have had to cope with various religious objections when teaching evolution, but one of the hardest problems for any science teacher is to make the subject personally relevant to the students.
It may seem like a slam dunk until you see a class watching video of Neil Armstrong setting foot on the Moon - and they might as well be watching an episode of Star Trek. And don't get me started on why supposedly scientifically literal US school graduates can't give their weight in Kilos.
So back to the point - here's a key quote from the Florida Board of Education member:
Evolution "is like no other subject we teach. Therefore, it is of supreme importance," Callaway continued, according to the Florida Baptist Witness. "This has the possibility of confirming or denying for a child who he/she really is. This strikes to the meaning, the value, and the core of life itself. I firmly believe that a child can deal with the proof of science along with a personal belief in God as the Creator of the universe at the same time.
As any Science teacher can attest, humans are remarkably able to simultaneously hold utterly contradictory viewpoints, with only minimal discomfit. However, there is a limit, and Darwin understood that very well when he took decades before publishing his Origin of Species.
Ironically, believers like Callaway have a better understanding of the implications of accepting Evolution as the basis for our existence than those religious believers (like Francis Collins) who seem to think you can have your cake and eat it. The only God(s) that could survive a thorough understanding of the Theory would be some vaguely deist watchmaker that set the wheels in motion and was currently unavailable for any intervention. God(s) are not necessarily disproven, just made utterly irrelevant. That's why the recent National Academy of Science survey shows that while 90% of members overall are non-believers, that figure rises to 95% for biologists.
For 150 years the Darwin's Theory of evolution has been relegated to the back rows of Biology classes in America, and now its finally getting some overdue recognition. Looking at the back and forth exchanges on the Florida link, many Americans, whether religious or not, are realising their place in the 21st Century is at stake. I think this battle will be won by the rational and scientific consensus, at least in the large States - and a welcome corollary might be a much more vigorous assertion of what constitutes science, and why Creationism and ID transparantly fail that test.
Other Comments by thirdchimpanzee
18. Comment #94323 by logos_tech on December 5, 2007 at 9:44 am
Perhaps someone ought to inform Ben Stein. Looks like another example for his film "Expelled". (emphasis on irony) Other Comments by logos_tech
19. Comment #94517 by Tumara Baap on December 5, 2007 at 10:19 pm
Given the speed with which Ms. Comer was summoned, some bigwigs had likely been contemplating her ouster for a time. While the optimism of thirdchimpanzee is reassuring, it's a fight that can only be won if we put up a fight. We're up against motivated, well funded, and organized opponents. Pulling one's hair out in disbelief won't help. For all it's worth, I hope my donation to ACLU will go a longer way.Other Comments by Tumara Baap
20. Comment #94524 by mintcheerios on December 5, 2007 at 11:15 pm
It's a circus of religious nonsense here in Texas. It's really hard for me to see how any person of reason could doubt that religion and science collide. Is a bunch of self-professed evangelists preaching about the evilness of evolution not convincing enough?Other Comments by mintcheerios
21. Comment #94751 by Mr DArcy on December 6, 2007 at 12:45 pm
Ignoramuses of the world unite! You have a world to lose. You have nothing to lose but your knowledge. Your chains await you!Apologies to Marx, but is everything bigger in Texas including ignorance? A scientifically illiterate population will not bode well for humanity, let alone the USA. Yes I know there are more guns in Texas than there are atheists in the Vatican, but does reason really not enter into these peoples' thinking?
Was the Earth really created in October 4004 bc? Did crocaducks ever crawl alongside humans? Are these creationists dishonest and mendacious people?
A lawyer might well see great Scope for legal pickings!
Other Comments by Mr DArcy
22. Comment #95076 by BigJohn on December 7, 2007 at 10:06 am
Here is a link to an article in my local newspaper, The Longview News-Journal. Maybe there is some hope. Now I am awaiting the letters to the editor to see what the local reaction is.http://tinyurl.com/36jedu
Other Comments by BigJohn
23. Comment #96473 by Zzyx1170 on December 10, 2007 at 3:22 pm
Christine Comer was interviewed on NPR Science Friday. You can listen to the 12-minute interview at: http://www.sciencefriday.com/program/archives/200712071Other Comments by Zzyx1170
Over 1.5 million copies sold
Books by Richard Dawkins
The Oxford Book of Modern Science Writing
by Richard Dawkins
The Selfish Gene
by Richard Dawkins
The Blind Watchmaker
by Richard Dawkins
The Ancestor's Tale
by Richard Dawkins
Unweaving the Rainbow
by Richard Dawkins
1. Comment #94005 by BigJohn on December 4, 2007 at 3:14 pm
http://www.thisistrue.com/blog-shift_happens_comments.php?page=2
The school board here in Texas seems to be paving the road downhill into the morass of Intelligent Design and(probably) 'teach the controversy' between the Theory of Evolution and ID. This retrogression in the teaching of science is proceeding apace with Governor Perry's appointment of Don McLeroy to head the Texas Department of Education and the forced retirement of Christine Castillo Comer, Texas Education Agency's director of science over a FYI email she sent. Texans will soon be falling behind the rest of the states as they continue to fall behind the rest of the world. A dismal outlook indeed.
Other Comments by BigJohn