Check it out HERE:

State science curriculum director resigns
Move comes months before comprehensive curriculum review.

By Laura Heinauer
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF

Thursday, November 29, 2007

The state’s director of science curriculum has resigned after being accused of creating the appearance of bias against teaching intelligent design.

Chris Comer, who has been the Texas Education Agency’s director of science curriculum for more than nine years, offered her resignation this month.

In documents obtained Wednesday through the Texas Public Information Act, agency officials said they recommended firing Comer for repeated acts of misconduct and insubordination. But Comer said she thinks political concerns about the teaching of creationism in schools were behind what she describes as a forced resignation. ...

Pharingula has good commentary on this nonsense HERE.

Well it makes perfect sense because God is in Texas.

It’s the only state BIG enough to hold Him.

psik

PS - Don’t you start with that Alaska blasphemy now.

Texas supports religion by rejecting science (everyone gets dumber) = Religion supports tribalism = Tribalism supports war = War controls oil which supports Texas = Texas supports religion by rejecting science (everyone gets dumber) = Religion supports tribalism = Tribalism supports war = War controls oil which supports Texas = Texas supports religion by rejecting science (everyone gets dumber) = Religion supports tribalism = Tribalism supports war = War controls oil which supports Texas = Texas supports religion by rejecting science (everyone gets dumber) = Religion supports tribalism = Tribalism supports war = War controls oil which supports Texas = Texas supports religion by rejecting science (everyone gets dumber) = Religion supports tribalism = Tribalism supports war = War controls oil which supports Texas = Texas supports religion by rejecting science (everyone gets dumber) = Religion supports tribalism = Tribalism supports war = War controls oil which supports Texas = Texas supports religion by rejecting science (everyone gets dumber)

God bless Texas!!

Well, she should be happy that it occurred now.  By a couple of years from now the Texas legislature will probably be passing laws requiring 70 lashes for disbelief in “intelligent” design.

Occam

More information on what’s going on in Texas, with reference to this particular case, from Texas Citizens for Science. Click HERE.

I should follow up as this is quite interesting. Pharyngula has a copy of the actual email that got the state science curriculum director fired. It references the Center for Inquiry. Maybe we could get our Austin, Texas friends to comment on this nonsense?

Have they all gone and lost their minds?  Surely not all the parents are allowing or wanting this fake science (I.D.) in their children’s classrooms down there are they?  If so, they better tell their children that the T-Rex ate their great (X30) parents for dinner.  This is insane. 

isn’t it now illegal to teach ID creationism in public schools in the US?

Ski.

I doubt seriously that it’s illegal in any school system, however, many school boards direct the teaching staff to stick with evolution.  Certainly in religious schools in the U.S. I would guess they teach mainly I.D.  The same probably goes for in some of the smaller school districts in strongly religious communities where no one challenges the I.D. instruction.

Occam

Austin American-Statesman comes out with an editorial on this nonsense. Read it HERE.

Is misdeed a creation of political doctrine?
By The Editorial Board | Saturday, December 1, 2007, 04:40 PM

Is this state’s education agency being driven by a political orthodoxy so fierce that it dumped its science director for passing along a harmless e-mail? It’s possible.

<snip>

It looks like the Texas Education Agency has fallen victim to a smelly little orthodoxy, to quote author George Orwell. And that cannot be good for the schools or the schoolchildren of Texas. ...

Good for them.

Americans United for Separation of Church and State has gotten involved.  (See AU article)

Pharyngula has another update, a good take on an article in today’s NYTimes. See the blog post HERE.

More articles to check out about this:

“Official Leaves Post as Texas Prepares to Debate Science Education Standards”
The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/03/us/03evolution.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

“Texas education official forced to resign over evolution”
National Center for Science Education (NCSE)
http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/news/2007/TX/950_texas_education_official_force_11_29_2007.asp

“Americans United Blasts Ouster Of Texas Educator For Supporting Sound Science”
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State
http://www.au.org/site/News2?abbr=pr&page=NewsArticle&id=9521&security=1002&news_iv_ctrl=1241

“Texas Science Curriculum Director Canned for Mentioning Evolution”
Wired
http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/12/texas-science-c.html

“State science curriculum director resigns: Move comes months before comprehensive curriculum review.”
Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/11/29/1129science.html

“Is misdeed a creation of political doctrine?”
Austin American-Statesman
http://www.statesman.com/blogs/content/shared-gen/blogs/austin/editorial/entries/2007/12/01/is_misdeed_a_creation_of_polit.html

“State science curriculum director resigns under pressure”
Houston Chronicle (AP Texas News)
http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/5337882.html

“State science curriculum director resigns under pressure”
News 8 Austin
http://www.news8austin.com/content/top_stories/default.asp?ArID=196040

“Expelled: Texas Education Agency Fires Staffer for Announcing Talk by Barbara Forrest”
The Panda’s Thumb (blog)
http://pandasthumb.org/archives/2007/11/expelled-texas.html

Featured on this week’s Science Friday with Ira Flatow, the NPR radio program and podcast. You can access the audio HERE.

I am listening to the interview now, but there has been a passing mention of the Center for Inquiry as sponsor of Barbara Forrest’s talk.

Bush appointee considered it a firing offense to express a pro-evolution opinion.

I think I’ll go to Texas and name a teddy bear “Jesus Dubya”.  That should get me drawn and quartered.

No no, tscott, name him Jesus (Spanish pronounciation) Cristos and say he is an atheist.    Now THAT will you get you drawn and quartered.  Jesus Cristos the atheist.