Category Archives for creationism

Texas Ed Board Candidate Advocates Teaching Creationism in Science Classrooms

One of the Republican candidates for the Texas State Board of Education District 15 seat, Marty Rowley of Amarillo, is offering one of his clearest arguments for teaching “intelligent design”/creationism in science classrooms. Rowley talked to the Amarillo Globe-News for a story about next year’s scheduled adoption of science textbooks by the state board: “Evolutionists [...]

Also posted in 2012 Texas SBOE elections, Anette Carlisle, evolution, Marty Rowley, science and religion, Steven Schafersman, TFN
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Handful of Contests See the Most Money in Texas State Board of Education Races

In the 1990s, San Antonio businessman James Leininger — the religious right’s sugar daddy in Texas — poured hundreds of thousands of dollars into State Board of Education (SBOE) races. That money helped hard-right social conservatives build a multi-year campaign to take control of the board — and turned subsequent board debates over textbooks and [...]

Also posted in 2012 Texas SBOE elections, Anette Carlisle, Barbara Cargill, David Bradley, David Williams, Don McLeroy, Donna Bahorich, Gail Spurlock, George Clayton, Linda Ellis, Marisa Perez, Marty Rowley, Michael Soto, Pam Little, Peter Morrison, Randy Stevenson, Rita Ashley, TFN, Thomas Ratliff, Tincy Miller
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Former Texas SBOE Member: Opposition to Teaching Creationism in Science Classrooms Is Like ‘Pre-Holocaust Germany’

Cynthia Dunbar sounds just as extreme as she was when she left the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) at the end of 2010. Dunbar spoke Sunday night in Dallas as part of a panel discussion after a screening of the new documentary film “The Revisionaries.” The film, which premiered on Friday at the Tribeca [...]

Also posted in 2012 Texas SBOE elections, Cynthia Dunbar, evolution, science and religion, State Board of Education, TFNEF
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TFN and the Textbook Wars Head to Tribeca!

We’re excited to tell you that the Texas Freedom Network’s fight against textbook censorship and efforts to politicize public education will be part of a new documentary film premiering this weekend at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in New York City. “The Revisionaries” explores how far-right radicals on the State Board of Education in Texas [...]

Also posted in censorship, evolution, science, science and religion, social studies, State Board of Education, TFNEF
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Anti-Evolution Politics Hurt Science Education

The conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute has posted a new essay following up on the organization’s January report giving low marks to science curriculum standards in most states, including Texas. Dr. Paul R. Gross, an emeritus professor of life sciences at the University of Virginia, writes for Fordham’s Education Gadfly e-newsletter that weak coverage of [...]

Also posted in Don McLeroy, evolution, Fordham Institute, TFNEF
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Texas Science Education Battle in 2013

After several years of especially divisive “culture war” battles over what Texas public school students should learn about evolution, history and other subjects, the State Board of Education last week decided that it will adopt new science textbooks for all schools in 2013. The new adoption schedule also has the board approving textbooks for history [...]

Also posted in 2012 Texas SBOE elections, evolution, sex education, social studies, State Board of Education, textbooks, TFN
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Celebrating Mediocrity in Texas?

This should tell you a lot about the intellectual and moral bankruptcy of the Texas State Board of Education. Last year the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute sharply criticized the state board for its “ideological manipulation,” historical revisionism and contempt for expertise in adopting new social studies curriculum standards for Texas public schools in 2010. [...]

Also posted in 2012 Texas SBOE elections, Barbara Cargill, Don McLeroy, evolution, Fordham Institute, TFN
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2011 in Quotes: The War on Science

The assault on science and science education continued throughout 2011. Today’s review of quotes from the past year shows that evolution and climate change were major targets in the right’s war on science, especially in Texas. Read other quotes from the far right in 2011 here. “The controversy over science standards was actually the result [...]

Also posted in climate change, evolution, intelligent design, science, science and religion, The Year in Quotes
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Mercer Still Attacking Science and Teachers

How in the world did we miss this? Seems that in August, Texas State Board of Education member Ken Mercer, R-San Antonio, had some interesting things to say about science and social studies curriculum standards on a Tea Party radio program. Speaking on the San Antonio Tea Party’s Boiling Point radio show, Mercer offered much [...]

Also posted in evolution, Ken Mercer, science
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Creationist Materials Found Where?!

What’s wrong with this picture? According to the Dallas Observer, this PowerPoint slide was found on the central curriculum website (accessible only by teachers) for the Dallas Independent School District, the 12th-largest public school system in the country. The slide was apparently part of a presentation titled “The Cell Theory.” The Observer notes most of [...]

Also posted in intelligent design, science and religion
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