The further devolving of Texas education

The Texas Education Agency forced its science curriculum director to resign in a show of strength by its right Christian political leadership. Too bad these idiots are in charge of educating Texas children. The science director's crime, forwarding a link announcing a presentation by a leading university critic of "Intelligent Design" and the politics behind creationism by another name. Ms. Chris Conner was ordered to resign or be fired.

Political appointees of Perry and the elected board are turning the agency into a little Christian fascist Hell. Staff are now not allowed to leave the building or communicate without permission. Next year the Texas Board of Education will review the state science curriculum and set standards for classroom instruction and textbook selection. A recent appointee coming from the Bush administration, Lizzette Reynolds, led the charge to get the heretic fired.

Half Empty: TEA clearing path toward teaching creationism.

People's Republic of Seabrook in exile: I miss the dumbness of Texas.

Austin-American Statesman:

Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, which sent the original e-mail to Comer announcing the event, said Comer's situation seems to be a warning to agency employees.

"This just underscores the politicization of science education in Texas," Scott said. "In most states, the department of education takes a leadership role in fostering sound science education. Apparently TEA employees are supposed to be kept in the closet and only let out to do the bidding of the board."

The New York Times: Evolution debate leads to ouster.

Capitol Annex: Her crime, sending this email:

I thought that you might like to know that Barbara Forrest will be speaking on “Inside Creationism’s Trojan Horse” in Austin on November 2, 2007. Her talk, sponsored by the Center for Inquiry Austin, begins at 7:00 p.m. in the Monarch Event Center, Suite 3100, 6406 North IH-35 in Austin. The cost is $6; free to friends of the Center.

In her talk, Forrest will provide a detailed report on her expert testimony in the Kitzmiller v. Dover School Board trial as well as an overview of the history of the “intelligent design” movement. Forrest is a Professor of Philosophy in the Department of History and Political Science at Southeastern Louisiana University; she is also a member of NCSE’s board of directors.

Huffington Post, Zach Marks: Hey Science, Don't Mess With Texas.

Pharyngula: The Letter That Frightened Texas Education.

Austin-American Statesman Editorial:

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.

Why would the TEA be so riled at forwarding the location of an address by that speaker? Perhaps because the speaker was an expert on and would talk about the Dover case. In the Dover case, a Federal court ruled "We have concluded that intelligent design is not science, and moreover that intelligent design cannot uncouple itself from its creationist, and thus religious, antecedents."

Update The Carpetbagger Report: Some advice, get out of Texas now.

New New York Times: Science Director forced to resign for supporting current Texas education standards.

Tags: Texas, evolution, intelligent design, education