November 6-7, 2003, State Board of Education Meeting
Documents Relevant to Important SBOE Votes
- Trial Lawyers
for Public Justice, a national public interest law
firm, filed a First Amendment lawsuit on October 30 against Texas State
Board of Education officials, charging that their November 2001 decision
to reject an environmental science textbook for use in public high schools
constitutes censorship in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
- Texas Citizens for Science Applauds Trial Lawyers for
Public Justice The TLPJ lawsuit against the Texas
SBOE will have a beneficial effect on future textbook adoptions by making it clear
that irrational and illegal adoption decisions have serious consequences.
- National Center for Science Education
Response to the Discovery Institute's press
releases regarding Texas biology textbook changes. NCSE explains that the publishers'
changes were minor and did not weaken or distort the textbooks' presentation of
evolution in the way that the Discovery Institute wished. Instead, the biology texts
continue to present evolution and evolutionary theory in a scientifically-accurate manner.
- Virtual Charter Schools are
Anti-Science A new push by religious-activist William Bennett
to sell the concept of virtual charter schools in Texas will have anti-science
implications. Bennett's K-12 curriculum is religious-based and plans to misrepresent evolution.
The Texas SBOE will vote on this ill-conceived project November 7.
- TCS Testimony to SBOE Planning Committee on
Virtual Charter Schools Texas Citizens for Science opposes
the virtual charter school proposal for many reasons, but primarily because it intends to use
a curriculum that will misrepresent evolution and science.
- TCS Responds to SBOE Members Don McLeroy and Teri
Leo who have repeatedly and deliberately distorted
the scientific issues in their letters to the Houston Chronicle about biology textbook adoption.
- SBOE Member Don McLeroy's Contemptible
Strategy to play one publisher against the others in
a cynical attempt to damage the biology textbooks by weakening their evolution content.
- 550+
Texas Scientists, Teachers Agree on Teaching
Evolution "As scientists and
teachers who live and work in Texas, we write to urge the Texas State
Board of Education to choose only textbooks that present accepted,
peer-reviewed science and pedagogical expertise. We believe that such
a process leads to strong curricula of the highest quality, accuracy,
and pedagogical appropriateness." (more). Signed by more than
550 Texas scientists. (Document will download and open as a PDF file)
- University of Texas at Austin Professors David Hillis and Martin
Poenie write a letter to the SBOE telling its members that they
"believe that all of the books conform to the TEKS standards and should be approved
and placed on the conforming list of textbooks."
September 10, 2003, SBOE Textbook
Hearing Documents
Testimony to the Texas State Board of
Education by TCS Members
- Written
Testimony prepared by
evolutionary scientist Steven Schafersman includes commentary
on the Texas science textbook adoption process and his
scientific analysis of the Discovery Institute's "Preliminary
Analysis" of biology textbooks. This testimony will be
presented on September 10 in Austin at the public hearing
before the State Board of Education.
- Complete
Written Testimony of TCS
President Steven Schafersman is the complete Word version of
his written testimony sent to each member of the Texas State
Board of Education prior to the September 10 hearing. This
70-page Word document includes (1) the commentary and
scientific analysis linked above, (2) the review "Texans for
Better Science Education: The True Story!," linked below, and
(3) Alan Gishlick's 37-page detailed analysis, also linked
below, of creationist Jonathan Wells' Icons of Evolution.
(This link will download the document as a 782 KB DOC
file.)
- Written
Testimony and preliminary TSELA
position statement prepared by Barbara ten Brink, PhD, Austin
ISD Science Specialist.
- Written
Testimony of TCS member Wendee
Holtcamp, a college science instructor and Rice University
biology doctoral student in Houston, Texas.
- Oral
Testimony of Steven Weinberg,
Nobel Laureate and Professor of Physics, University of Texas at Austin.
- Oral
Testimony of Steven
Schafersman, President of Texas Citizens for Science.
- Oral
Testimony of Robert Dennison,
President of Texas Association of Biology Teachers.
- Final
Comments to the State Board of
Education by Steven Schafersman,
summarizes the evidence and arguments to not censor the biology
textbooks to be adopted this cycle. Schafersman urges the State
Board to make the education of Texas school students their
first priority and not mess with textbooks.
The Houston
Chronicle has published several op-ed columns, letters,
and articles about the Texas biology textbook adoption controversy, including
an op-ed column by TCS President Steven Schafersman. Two unpublished letters of his are here, also.
An
Open Letter to the Texas State Board of Education by Sahotra Sarkar,
signed by 136 University of Texas at Austin professors, mostly
scientists, who urge the Texas State Board of Education to reject
attempts made by individuals and groups such as the Discovery
Institute to inject false or misleading materials into the
textbooks.
How
should schools teach evolution? by
Alfred Gilman. Open letter signed by 17 North Texas scientists,
all members of either the National Academy of Science or National
Institute of Medicine, including four Nobel Laureates. All ask the
State Board of Education to render a decision based solely on
whether the texts are scientifically accurate, and not capitulate
to outside organizations that are trying to insert
scientifically-inaccurate "weaknesses" into the biology
books.
Updated
Preliminary Recommendations for Instructional
Materials by the Texas Education
Agency Biology Textbook Review Panel contains their analysis that
all eleven of the submitted biology textbooks are conforming to
the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills, and thus can be adopted
without revision. (This link will download the document as a
one-page DOC file.)
TEA
Textbook Adoption Hearing
Materials: Official Texas Education
Agency webpage, contains written testimony, transcripts of oral
testimony, handouts, and other valuable materials.
Joint
NCSE-TCS Press Release for the
September 10 State Board of Education public hearing. Authors Say
"Don't Mess With Textbooks!"; Scientists And Teachers Say "Don't
Mislead Students!" (will download as a PDF file).
Statement
on Evolution in Textbooks by
authors of all biology textbooks being considered for adoption in
Texas. "We deplore the efforts made in some states and districts
to require that evolution be disclaimed."
Texans
for Better Science Education: The True
Story! A thrilling exposé of
the new Spring, Texas, creationist website that serves as a front
for the Greater Houston Creation Association. The TBSE pretends to
be for better science education in Texas by only asking for
"weaknesses" and "criticisms" to be put into high school biology
textbooks, but would really like much more. TBSE says some naughty
things about Texas Citizens for Science.
TABT
President's Alert and Talking Points for Texas
Teachers One-page letter from Texas
Association of Biology Teachers President Robert Dennison plus
Talking Points (will download as a PDF file).
TABT-NCSE
Talking Points for Texas Teachers
Talking Points only (will download as a PDF file).
Newspaper Articles about the September 10
Hearing
July 9, 2003, SBOE Textbook Hearing
Documents
Written Testimony to the Texas State Board
of Education by TCS Members
- Testimony
of TCS President Steven Schafersman.
- Testimony
of TCS member Edwin Darrell, attorney and former Director of
Information Services at the U.S. Department of Education's
Office of Educational Research and Improvement.
Press
Release prepared for the TCS press
conference in Austin on July 9.
Texas
Textbook Adoption An historical
analysis of science textbook adoption in Texas from the TCS
viewpoint prepared by Steven Schafersman, TCS
President.
Initial
News Story by Steven Schafersman
about the Discovery Institute's attempt to chage science textbooks
in Texas by asking the Texas State Board of Education to compel
the addition of "weaknesses" and "criticisms" of evolution during
the biology textbook adoption process.
Talking
Points for the Public Hearing of the Texas State Board of
Education Prepared on July 5 by the
National Center for Science Education staff using Alan Gishlick's
"Icons of Evolution?" (linked below).
TEA
• Transcript of July 9 Public
Hearing (This link will download
the document as a PDF file.)
TEA
• Comments from July 9 Public
Hearing (This link will download
the document as a PDF file.)
TEA
• Publishers' Responses to Testimony and Written Comments
from the July 9 Public Hearing
(This link will download the document as a PDF file.)
Useful Links
Trial Lawyers
for Public Justice, a national public interest law
firm, filed a First Amendment lawsuit on October 30 against Texas State
Board of Education officials, charging that their November 2001 decision
to reject an environmental science textbook for use in public high schools
constitutes censorship in violation of the U.S. Constitution.
The Academic
Intelligent Design Controversy: William Dembski and Baylor
University Compilation of reports, essays, articles,
and reviews of the 2000 controversy about the formation of the Baylor
University Michael Polanyi Center for intelligent design studies and
its ultimate dissolution amd Dembski's demotion.
FAQs
about the textbook adoption controversy in Texas Questions
and answers about the players, organizations, issues, and agendas
of the evolution v. creation controversy in Texas.
Censorship
of Evolution in Texas The original
1982 article in Issue 10 of
Creation/Evolution by then Texas Council for Science
Education President Steven Schafersman publicly revealing for the
first time the tremendous extent of censorship of the topic of
evolution in biology textbooks used in Texas and the United
States; as he explains, the culprits were members of the Texas
State Board of Education. Read this for a feeling of "deja vu all over
again." Some things just never change.
Find
Your State Board of Education
Member Use this page to identify
and communicate with your State Board of Education
member.
Texas
Texts Reignite Evolution Debates by
Julia C. Keller, Research News and Opportunities in Science and
Theology.
A
Textbook Case of Bad Science by
Salon.com writer Katharine Mieszkowski. "Defenders of evolutionary
theory in Texas say creation scientists are getting sneakier --
and more successful -- in getting their views into public school
educational materials."
Significant
Court Decisions of the Evolution-Creation Controversy in
America A collection of nine major
decisions by federal and state courts that have repeatedly ruled
against creationist attempts to force their religious doctrines
into public schools in violation of the Establishment Clause of
the First Amendment.
Texas
SAT Scores Still Near Bottom High
school students across the nation averaged the highest scores in
years on the most recent round of SAT testing, but Texas continues
to rank near the bottom.
San
Angelo Standard Times Biology Textbook Controversy Letter
Exchange
Holt,
Rinehart and Winston Biology Textbook Changes
Criticized
TCS
Letter to Holt, Rinehart and Winston President Judith
Fowler from TCS President Steven
Schafersman detailing concerns about Holt's biology textbook
changes.
Science Educational Society Position
Statements
Websites That Reveal the Truth About the
Discovery Institute
- Texas
Citizens for Science Responds to Latest Discovery Institute
Challenges The Discovery
Institute found 24 Texas university academics willing to
support the misguided effort to insert bogus "weaknesses" about
evolution into biology textbooks. Then, they found 40 Texas
"scientists" willing to openly criticize the modern theory of
evoluton. TCS President Steven Schafersman responds to the DI
press releases, open letter, and statement and reveals the
faulty logic that supports the DI (wedge) strategy and the true
reasons behind it.
- News
stories exposing the true goals and financial supporters of the
Discovery Institute of Seattle,
Washington Articles about Howard
Ahmanson, Phillip Johnson, Bruce Chapman, William Dembski,
Michael Behe, Jonathan Wells, Ray Bohlin, and others who make a
very good living working as nonsense purveyors, superstition
mongers, and pseudoscience peddlers for the Discovery
Institute. See also the Wedge Strategy below.
- Wedge
Strategy The Discovery
Institute-Center for Science and Culture's strategy to "wedge"
Intelligent Design Creationism -- as an alternative to
evolution and other "materialistic explanations" of science --
into the realm of public discourse, popular science, and
"public school science curricula." They intend to do this
quickly by using marketing, popularization, and political
techniques, not by using the traditional and legitimate methods
of scientific investigation and publication that scientists
must follow.
- A
Preliminary Analysis of the Treatment of Evolution in Biology
Textbooks currently being considered for adoption by the Texas
State Board of Education. The
Discovery Institute-Center for Science and Culture's written
testimony submitted to the Texas State Board of Education for
the biology textbook adoption hearing. This written testimony
is derived from the book Icons of Evolution by
anti-evolutionist Jonathan Wells of the Discovery Institute.
(This link will download the document as a PDF
file.)
Websites That Analyze and Critique
Creationist Pseudoscience and Pseudoscholarship
- Icons
of Evolution? Why much of what Jonathan Wells writes about
evolution is wrong. The most
detailed, complete, and referenced analysis and refutation of
Icons of Evolution, written by Alan D. Gishlick,
Postdoctoral Scholar at the National Center for Science
Education.
- Icon
of Obfuscation Jonathan Wells'
book Icons of Evolution and why most of what it teaches
about evolution is wrong. A thorough analysis and critique by
Nic Tamzek (Nicholas Matzke), graduate student in the UC-Santa
Barbara Geography Department, with contributions by noted
scientists whose own work was misrepresented in Wells'
book.
- Critical
Reviews by prominent scientists
of the anti-evolution book Icons of Evolution used by
the Discovery Institute to prepare their biology textbook
analysis.
- More
Critical Reviews and
Still
More Reviews by scientists of
the anti-evolution Icons of Evolution.
- Behe's
Empty Box is the best source for
almost all the reviews, essays, and documents by evolutionary
scientists who dispute the concept, arguments, and alleged
evidence proposed by Lehigh University biology professor
Michael Behe in his book Darwin's Black Box for the idea
of "irreducible complexity."
- The Anti-Evolutionists:
William A. Dembski is the best source for most
of the writings of William Dembski and the reviews, essays, and articles
by the many scientists who are critical of his claims and speculations about "specified complexity."
- Talk
Reason-Unintelligent Design, a
section of Talk Reason, a website devoted to printing a
collection of articles which aim to defend genuine science from
numerous attempts by the new crop of creationists to replace it
with theistic pseudo-science under various disguises and names.
This section contains a selection of essays and papers that
analyze and dissect the publications and arguments of
Intelligent Design organizations and individual
proponents.
- Talk
Origins-Arguments Against Creationism The anti-creationism
section of famous website Talk Origins, containing numerous
papers and essays that reveal the true nature of organized
creationism.
- Talk
Design is a sub-site of Talk
Origins created as a response to the "Intelligent Design"
movement of creationism. It is dedicated to (1) assessing the
claims of the Intelligent Design movement from the perspective
of mainstream science, (2) addressing the wider political,
cultural, philosophical, moral, religious, and educational
issues that have inspired the ID movement, and (3) providing an
archive of materials that critically examine the scientific
claims of the ID movement.
- Antiquity
of Man Pseudoscience contains an
amazingly complete list of links to anti-creationism and
anti-pseudoscience resources. The Antiquity of Man website is
primarily devoted to human physical anthropology and
archaeology, especially Egyptian archaeology.
- The
Skeptical Creationism Website is
part of the Skeptic World Site, a site devoted to investigating
the claims of pseudoscience, the paranormal, and the
supernatural, examining their evidence, evaluating their
arguments, and attempting to debunk and refute them
all.
Last updated: 2004/07/25
