Texas fires State Director of Science Curriculum for Promoting Evolution

[Phil]

Lots of details in this report:

http://www.texscience.org/reviews/tea-science-director-resigns.htm

 

[sthomson]

I'm a bit on the fence about this. I remember the case (in Texas:do you see a pattern?) last year where a teacher claimed she was fired for taking her class to an art exhibit which contained sculptures of nudes. There was a lot of uproar all over the internet, and a lot of mischaracterizations of the school district and parents involved, primarily because in cases such as these, the school district is much more hesitant to speak to the press (they face many more legal problems for doing so). The school board claimed that her performance issues stretched back a year before the museum incident, etc etc. It becomes such a he-said/she-said thing, and if there's one thing I don't like it's the Court of Public Opinion.

However, the Texas Citizens for Science report is very thorough and rather damning against the Texas education board.

 

[Geek Goddess]

And grassy noles.

and knolls, too.


I have drafted a letter that I will be sending out this week. This just pisses me off to no end!

 

[Achán hiNidráne]

That's an absolute falsehood. It's a personnel matter.

Bulls--t Scott! She's a public employee, as are you. You run a tax-payer supported agency. There are no "personal matters" here. If she was not fired for forwarding the e-mail, then what was she fired for?

 

[sthomson]

Bulls--t Scott! She's a public employee, as are you. You run a tax-payer supported agency. There are no "personal matters" here. If she was not fired for forwarding the e-mail, then what was she fired for?

Personnel, Mark, not personal.

 

[Normal Dude]

Biologists in Texas have responded with a letter:

https://webspace.utexas.edu/dib73/Bolnicklab/OpenLetter.pdf?uniq=i1dfc7

 

[Henners]

...the land of the brief and the home of the hoover.

Ain't free speech just dandy.

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

Biologists in Texas have responded with a letter:

https://webspace.utexas.edu/dib73/Bolnicklab/OpenLetter.pdf?uniq=i1dfc7

Oh Snap!

 

[Morrigan]

Biologists in Texas have responded with a letter:

https://webspace.utexas.edu/dib73/Bolnicklab/OpenLetter.pdf?uniq=i1dfc7

*sniff* That's... beautiful. Beautiful pwnage.

 

[Bunk]

Don McLeroy, chair, State Board of Education of the great state of Texas sent this letter yesterday to the Dallas news in response to a story they'd written earlier. His letter sounds pretty good until you read this:

My focus is on the empirical evidence and the scientific interpretations of that evidence. In science class, there is no place for dogma and "sacred cows;" no subject should be "untouchable" as to its scientific merits or shortcomings. My motivation is good science and a well-trained, scientifically literate student.

What can stop science is an irrefutable preconception. Anytime you attempt to limit possible explanations in science, it is then that you get your science stopper. In science class, it is important to remember that the consensus of a conviction does not determine whether it is true or false.

I believe that's he's just using Discovery Institute code words to state that he has every intention of moving ID into Texas science classes if there's any way he can do it. Or maybe I'm just paranoid.

P.S. It's not paranoia if everyone IS out to get you.

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

Would any Creationist who claims that there are problems or shortcomings or whatever please list what they supposedly are instead of just alluding to them?

Come on Dr. McLeroy, don't tease us. Instead of using your flowery verbiage, just tell us what the freakin' shortcomings are you have a problem with?

 

[Tokenconservative]

*sniff* That's... beautiful. Beautiful pwnage.

"pwnage"?

Isn't that a term specific to the old Protest Warrior forum site?

as in: Protest Warrior-ownage?

Tokie

 

[Damien Evans]

"pwnage"?

Isn't that a term specific to the old Protest Warrior forum site?

as in: Protest Warrior-ownage?

Tokie

not that I know of.

 

[Tokenconservative]

Two words: 'bout damned time.

 

[UnrepentantSinner]

"pwnage"?

Isn't that a term specific to the old Protest Warrior forum site?

as in: Protest Warrior-ownage?

Tokie

Maybe you should learn some !33+.

Actually it's kind of funny because when Genghis Pwn joined the forum there was a lot of posts wondering what his User ID meant.

 

[Tokenconservative]

Maybe you should learn some !33+.

Actually it's kind of funny because when Genghis Pwn joined the forum there was a lot of posts wondering what his User ID meant.

I have no idea what that is, but it's damned clever of you to throw some tricky sounding jargon at me to get me to admit to my own ignorance of some inance arcanity.

Well played, sir!

I am "pwned!"

Sheesh.

Tokie

 

[sthomson]

I have no idea what that is, but it's damned clever of you to throw some tricky sounding jargon at me to get me to admit to my own ignorance of some inance arcanity.

Leet, TC. It's nothing to be proud of, unless we're proud of pop culture knowledge in general, although I must applaud UnrepenantSinner for using a version I've never seen before. 1337 indeed.

Edited to add: Pwn.