Two Heroes: Texas State Reps Take on Creationist Board of Ed

by Clay Burell

Published February 13, 2009 @ 11:52AM PT

I was never good with birthdays, so I hope Charles Darwin, wherever he is or isn't, will forgive the tardiness. February 12th was the bi-centennial of his birth. Happy Darwin Day! And read on for some GOOD NEWS.

At a time when Darwin has ample reason to be rolling in his grave:

• India laughing at the United States for its scientific illiteracy,
• Muslim creationists in Pakistan gaining ground by aping their American fundamentalist cousins,
• the Pew Research Center's new poll finding 64% of Americans want Genesis taught as a science book in American classrooms,
• a new Gallup poll showing only 38% of Americans accept evolutionary theory, and
• the Creationist Texas State Board of Education - pawns of the Washington-based Pseudo-Science Discovery Institute - trying out Plan Z to insert medieval "science" standards into its state curriculum, and thereby poison science in all textbooks in the USA

- Darwin's ghost also has new reasons to hope: two Texas state representatives are proposing legislation to make their State Board of Education [SBOE] more accountable to education, and less accountable to the Disco' Institute.

It's the kind of thing I've been banging the drum for on these pages over the last few weeks, and deserves a resounding "BRAVO" for Senator Ellis and Representative Rose.

From the Houston Chronicle:

State Board of Education must be held accountable

By STATE SEN. RODNEY ELLIS and STATE REP. PATRICK M. ROSE

....Last session, the Legislature committed to investing $3 billion over the next 10 years in making Texas the global leader in cancer research and finding cures. This historic investment is certain to bring economic and academic opportunities to our state.

Sadly, even as our state takes one step forward, the SBOE moves us two steps back by continuing to support a diminished standard for science education. Texas’ credibility and its investment in research and technology are placed at risk by these ongoing, unproductive debates.

This is a critical issue and a critical time. Study after study has demonstrated that states which do well in science education have the brightest long-term economic future. According to Gov. Rick Perry’s Select Commission on Higher Education and Global Competitiveness, despite improved scores in math and reading, Texas’ students continue to lag alarmingly behind other states in science proficiency.

The National Assessment of Education Progress revealed that only 23 percent of Texas 8th graders achieved proficiency in science, compared with 41 percent of students in the top-performing states — the states with which we compete for jobs.

Yet the board continues to undermine high-quality science instruction, allowing our students to slip further behind.

To ensure that the SBOE works as it should, we have filed legislation to place the board under periodic review by the Sunset Advisory Commission and hold them accountable for their performance, just as we do the Texas Education Agency and other state agencies.

The decisions of the SBOE not only impact millions of young lives on a daily basis, but impact the economic progress of our state as well.

For these reasons and many others, the public has a right to full disclosure and oversight.

The board has escaped such scrutiny for far too long. The disregard for educators, instructional experts and scientists can’t continue. It’s time to take a closer look at the operations and policies of the State Board of Education.

Our state, and especially our kids, deserve better.

Ellis represents the Houston area and parts of Fort Bend County; Rose represents Blanco, Caldwell and Hays counties.

Is this a model for other states to adapt?

As I mentioned in a previous post, the Disco' Institute is waging campaigns to dumb students down in several other states: Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, Michigan, Missouri and South Carolina.

If you live in any of these states, and want your child to know the difference between science and religion, why not contact your state representatives and request they take similar actions?

(And have any of you who signed on to organize Smart Mobs for Science fulfilled that fun pledge? Let me know!)

--Image from Sweet Briar College