Texas fires State Director of Science Curriculum for Promoting Evolution

[m_huber]

http://www.thecarpetbaggerreport.com/archives/13772.html

Chris Comer, for example, the state director of science curriculum, has been fired. Her offense is that she forwarded an e-mail to several individuals and community groups announcing a speech being given by Barbara Forrest, co-author of Creationism’s Trojan Horse: The Wedge of Intelligent Design, a book critical of the ID movement.

Makes me mad.

[Davidlpf]

At least in texas they had someone in charge of science curriculum who was pro science, at least for a little while.

[rjh01]

When I click on the link my IE V7 freezes.

Was he sacked for promoting a Evolution or for sending a certain type of e-mail?

[Normal Dude]

She forwarded an email which told of a presentation by the author Forrester.

[Paul C. Anagnostopoulos]

Texas has a big influence on the content of textbooks written for the U.S. market. This should be interesting.

I've been sooooo bored since Dover.

~~ Paul

[Kestrel]

Texas has a big influence on the content of textbooks written for the U.S. market.

Texas mandates textbooks at the state level instead of leaving it up to the local school districts.

Haven't you ever wondered why Texas had a State Schoolbook Depository?

[a_unique_person]

And grassy noles.

[Bikewer]

This appeared in Randi's commentary this week, and NPR's Science Friday devoted the first segment of the show to an interview with Castillo.

I wonder if we have a link to the e-mail for the appropriate administrators? I understand the case is already generating a bit of outrage.

[juniper_ann]

What alternative reasons are being given for her firing? Are any of them reasonable?

[Bikewer]

According to the Science Friday interview, the reason given was the "impropriety" of advocating a position on which the department must remain "neutral".

As Randi said in his commentary, why would the department have to be neutral when there is now standing case law from the Dover case?

[m_huber]

An update from the NCSE:

http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/news/2007/TX/577_the_latest_on_the_comer_contro_12_7_2007.asp

[juniper_ann]

I thought about writing my Texas School Board of Education Member, but I find out that I'm in SBOE District 6 (yeah, I didn't know :blush:), and my representative is Terri Leo, who has "wedge doctrine" written all over her. I can't seem to find when the next district 6 election is.

I'll still write the governor and my senator and representative, as soon as I can put together a coherent letter.

[pgwenthold]

What alternative reasons are being given for her firing? Are any of them reasonable?

THere is a Q&A with Scott, where he just denies everything without providing any details.

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/points/stories/DN-pocscott_09edi.ART.State.Edition1.370eba7.html


Is it true she was forced to resign just because she forwarded that e-mail message without even commenting on it?

That's an absolute falsehood. It's a personnel matter. The really frustrating part about this is, if I start talking about activities and things that happened, I get sued. So all I can say is that there are other factors, and I understand that certain interest groups would like to pick upon that one issue and make it the issue of the day. ... That's their business, but that's not how we're running the agency.

[juniper_ann]

I was skeptical about Comer's claims because she certainly has a motive for lying. It's a lot easier to say "I was fired because my scumbag employer wants to suppress the truth" than to say, for instance, "I was fired because I am incompetent." Still, no one from the TEA seems to be opposing her story.

THere is a Q&A with Scott, where he just denies everything without providing any details.

Sheesh. I think you would have to think long and hard before you came up with something that had less meaning than "personnel issues". I think the next statement is even more telling:

"Was her advocacy of evolution over creationism an element in her dismissal?

She wasn't advocating anything. My understanding is that the e-mail she forwarded – let me rephrase that. She wasn't advocating for evolution. But she may have given the impression that ... we were taking a position as an agency – not as an individual but as an agency – on a matter."

The bolded part is the reason all the news agencies (and outraged interest groups) are giving for her firing--that the agency feared she was giving an impression that the agency was not "neutral" toward Creationism.

[juniper_ann]

What's the difference between a mailing address and a delivery address? Which one do you put on the envelope? Which one do you put on the upper left of the letter?

http://www2.governor.state.tx.us/contact/

[pgwenthold]

What's the difference between a mailing address and a delivery address?

Believe it or not, there is one.

US Post can go to the mailing address. It is a mailbox.

The delivery address is needed for any other carrier. UPS or FedEx, for example, require a physical address and not just a PO box.

[juniper_ann]

Believe it or not, there is one.

US Post can go to the mailing address. It is a mailbox.

The delivery address is needed for any other carrier. UPS or FedEx, for example, require a physical address and not just a PO box.

Thanks, pgwenthold.

Does anyone have any suggestions for my letter to Gov. Perry (following)? Is it too...hysterical? Non-factual? Long? Please don't hesitate to make harsh suggestions or edits.


December 11, 2007

Office of the Governor
P.O. Box 12428
Austin, Texas 78711-2428

Dear Governor Perry:

The November 5, 2007 memo “Re: Proposed Disciplinary Action” from Monica Martinez to Susan Barnes says that on October 26, 2007, Chris Comer forwarded an email that “implies that TEA endorses the speaker’s [Barabara Forrest’s] position on a subject on which the agency must remain neutral. Thus, sending this email compromises the agency’s role in the TEKS revision process by creating the perception that TEA has a biased position on a subject directly related to the science education TEKS.” I am sure that you are well aware that Ms. Comer has since been forced to resign for several reasons, including this email.

While the Texas Education Agency (TEA) should not be holding religious positions, it is unconscionable for TEA to be neutral about the teaching of Intelligent Design or Creationism in science classes. It is a fraud to teach evolution as anything but the rigorous scientific theory that it is. Creationism, including the insidious weasel words and false controversy of the Discovery Institute, is intolerable in any classroom.

If the TEA has any plans of replacing Ms. Comer with a Director of Science more likely to cooperate with a Creationist agenda, please disabuse them of that notion immediately.

Sincerely,

[Signature]

Firstname Lastname
Me@myemail.com

123 Street St.
City, TX xxxxx

[m_huber]

I would include something about the Dover trial, the legal precedent for teaching ID, and the probability of a lawsuit.

[GreNME]

I just submitted a message to Perry's office:

I find it extremely disturbing that, after the case in Dover (Pennsylvania) regarding claims that intelligent design (ID) is NOT a valid science and thus not subject to being taught along-side evolution, the state of Texas decides to pressure its director of the state science curriculum (Chris Comer) to resign over an issue that, at its core, is just another appeal to ID creationists and a slap in the face of science. Furthermore, as someone who is interested in going back to school to finish a degree in education, I am becoming increasingly convinced that I have absolutely no desire to pursue a career in education in a state like Texas. If Texas promotes such blatantly unethical behavior as the TEA has engaged in by forcing Comer out of her position over such a ridiculous issue, then people who advocate the teaching of science (and not religion) in the classroom are clearly being sent a message: we (those who promote science) are not wanted. The only thing that incidents like this serve to accomplish for the state of Texas is a reduction in the quality of educators willing to work within the state, forcing more and more highly qualified teachers to move on to states with less biased ties to religious fanaticism. Quite honestly, due to issues like this, you can very likely guarantee that I will be among those people who refuse to teach in this state while such a religiously driven and unethical stance continues to be in place.

[m_huber]

Right on.

[Phil]

Lots of details in this report:

http://www.texscience.org/reviews/tea-science-director-resigns.htm

[sthomson]

I'm a bit on the fence about this. I remember the case (in Texas:do you see a pattern?) last year where a teacher claimed she was fired for taking her class to an art exhibit which contained sculptures of nudes. There was a lot of uproar all over the internet, and a lot of mischaracterizations of the school district and parents involved, primarily because in cases such as these, the school district is much more hesitant to speak to the press (they face many more legal problems for doing so). The school board claimed that her performance issues stretched back a year before the museum incident, etc etc. It becomes such a he-said/she-said thing, and if there's one thing I don't like it's the Court of Public Opinion.

However, the Texas Citizens for Science report is very thorough and rather damning against the Texas education board.

[Geek Goddess]

And grassy noles. and knolls, too.


I have drafted a letter that I will be sending out this week. This just pisses me off to no end!

[Mark A. Siefert]

That's an absolute falsehood. It's a personnel matter.

Bulls--t Scott! She's a public employee, as are you. You run a tax-payer supported agency. There are no "personal matters" here. If she was not fired for forwarding the e-mail, then what was she fired for?

[sthomson]

Bulls--t Scott! She's a public employee, as are you. You run a tax-payer supported agency. There are no "personal matters" here. If she was not fired for forwarding the e-mail, then what was she fired for?

Personnel, Mark, not personal. :D

[Normal Dude]

Biologists in Texas have responded with a letter:

https://webspace.utexas.edu/dib73/Bolnicklab/OpenLetter.pdf?uniq=i1dfc7

[Henners]

...the land of the brief and the home of the hoover.

Ain't free speech just dandy.

[UnrepentantSinner]

Biologists in Texas have responded with a letter:

https://webspace.utexas.edu/dib73/Bolnicklab/OpenLetter.pdf?uniq=i1dfc7

Oh Snap!

[Morrigan]

Biologists in Texas have responded with a letter:

https://webspace.utexas.edu/dib73/Bolnicklab/OpenLetter.pdf?uniq=i1dfc7

*sniff* That's... beautiful. Beautiful pwnage.

[Bunk]

Don McLeroy, chair, State Board of Education of the great state of Texas sent this letter yesterday (http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/opinion/letters/stories/DN-friartletters_1221.ART.State.Edition1.36fb713.html ) to the Dallas news in response to a story they'd written earlier. His letter sounds pretty good until you read this:

My focus is on the empirical evidence and the scientific interpretations of that evidence. In science class, there is no place for dogma and "sacred cows;" no subject should be "untouchable" as to its scientific merits or shortcomings. My motivation is good science and a well-trained, scientifically literate student.

What can stop science is an irrefutable preconception. Anytime you attempt to limit possible explanations in science, it is then that you get your science stopper. In science class, it is important to remember that the consensus of a conviction does not determine whether it is true or false.

I believe that's he's just using Discovery Institute code words to state that he has every intention of moving ID into Texas science classes if there's any way he can do it. Or maybe I'm just paranoid.

P.S. It's not paranoia if everyone IS out to get you.

[UnrepentantSinner]

Would any Creationist who claims that there are problems or shortcomings or whatever please list what they supposedly are instead of just alluding to them?

Come on Dr. McLeroy, don't tease us. Instead of using your flowery verbiage, just tell us what the freakin' shortcomings are you have a problem with?

[Tokenconservative]

*sniff* That's... beautiful. Beautiful pwnage.

"pwnage"?

Isn't that a term specific to the old Protest Warrior forum site?

as in: Protest Warrior-ownage?

Tokie

[Damien Evans]

"pwnage"?

Isn't that a term specific to the old Protest Warrior forum site?

as in: Protest Warrior-ownage?

Tokie

not that I know of.

[Tokenconservative]

Two words: 'bout damned time.

[UnrepentantSinner]

"pwnage"?

Isn't that a term specific to the old Protest Warrior forum site?

as in: Protest Warrior-ownage?

Tokie

Maybe you should learn some !33+.

Actually it's kind of funny because when Genghis Pwn joined the forum there was a lot of posts wondering what his User ID meant.

[Tokenconservative]

Maybe you should learn some !33+.

Actually it's kind of funny because when Genghis Pwn joined the forum there was a lot of posts wondering what his User ID meant.

I have no idea what that is, but it's damned clever of you to throw some tricky sounding jargon at me to get me to admit to my own ignorance of some inance arcanity.

Well played, sir!

I am "pwned!"

Sheesh.

Tokie

[sthomson]

I have no idea what that is, but it's damned clever of you to throw some tricky sounding jargon at me to get me to admit to my own ignorance of some inance arcanity.

Leet (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leet), TC. It's nothing to be proud of, unless we're proud of pop culture knowledge in general, although I must applaud UnrepenantSinner for using a version I've never seen before. 1337 indeed.

Edited to add: Pwn (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pwn).