Comments on: Texas: The Science Textbook Review Panel http://austringer.net/wp/index.php/2008/10/15/texas-the-science-textbook-review-panel/ Wesley R. Elsberry's personal weblog, talking about falconry, science, antievolution, computation, and the broken body he lives in. Wed, 23 May 2012 03:12:10 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Austringer http://austringer.net/wp/index.php/2008/10/15/texas-the-science-textbook-review-panel/comment-page-1/#comment-247815 Austringer Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:56:39 +0000 http://austringer.net/wp/?p=990#comment-247815 I think it would be better if the three pro-science people did show up to meetings. In fact, they should insist on completely open proceedings, with at least audio recordings taken of all meetings, and insist that all email interactions between members and anyone else concerning Texas curriculum issues be permanently archived. They should require justifications for criticisms that the anti-science faction puts forward. The more stubborn they can be about getting to <i>why</i> those folks want to criticize what they do criticize and <i>what</i>, exactly, they want to see taught in the curriculum, the better that pretty-much-inevitable court experience is going to be. As far as discovery of Discovery goes, yeah, that should be awesome. I think it would be better if the three pro-science people did show up to meetings. In fact, they should insist on completely open proceedings, with at least audio recordings taken of all meetings, and insist that all email interactions between members and anyone else concerning Texas curriculum issues be permanently archived. They should require justifications for criticisms that the anti-science faction puts forward. The more stubborn they can be about getting to why those folks want to criticize what they do criticize and what, exactly, they want to see taught in the curriculum, the better that pretty-much-inevitable court experience is going to be.

As far as discovery of Discovery goes, yeah, that should be awesome.

]]> By: carlsonjojk http://austringer.net/wp/index.php/2008/10/15/texas-the-science-textbook-review-panel/comment-page-1/#comment-247759 carlsonjojk Fri, 17 Oct 2008 20:04:29 +0000 http://austringer.net/wp/?p=990#comment-247759 A question I asked elsewhere wasn't really answered, so I might as well pose it here. What should the pro-science members do about this? I am almost of the mind that they should boycott the committee, not unlike what was done with the Kansas hearings, as their role seems only to provide McLeroy a fig leaf of objectivity over his pre-determined agenda. It seems pretty clear that they don't have the numbers to stop the anti-evolutionists, so why not just let them hang themselves and sort it out in court. With Meyer on the committee, it would certainly open the Discovery Institute up to a level of legal discovery that they have avoided to date. A question I asked elsewhere wasn’t really answered, so I might as well pose it here. What should the pro-science members do about this? I am almost of the mind that they should boycott the committee, not unlike what was done with the Kansas hearings, as their role seems only to provide McLeroy a fig leaf of objectivity over his pre-determined agenda. It seems pretty clear that they don’t have the numbers to stop the anti-evolutionists, so why not just let them hang themselves and sort it out in court. With Meyer on the committee, it would certainly open the Discovery Institute up to a level of legal discovery that they have avoided to date.

]]> By: John Kingman http://austringer.net/wp/index.php/2008/10/15/texas-the-science-textbook-review-panel/comment-page-1/#comment-247468 John Kingman Thu, 16 Oct 2008 15:25:05 +0000 http://austringer.net/wp/?p=990#comment-247468 This is a science curriculum review panel, not a textbook review panel, which is something new for the SBOE. The effectiveness of the panel may be reduced to tie votes, but the full 15 member SBOE will probably end up doing another end-around move like they did on the English standards earlier in the year anyway. The best thing that could happen at this point would be if the two contested seats held by far-right members were to be taken by their more moderate contenders. This would change the odds dramatically. Laura Ewing is running against David Bradley and Dr. Edra Bogle is running against Gail Lowe. Help them if you can. This is a science curriculum review panel, not a textbook review panel, which is something new for the SBOE. The effectiveness of the panel may be reduced to tie votes, but the full 15 member SBOE will probably end up doing another end-around move like they did on the English standards earlier in the year anyway.

The best thing that could happen at this point would be if the two contested seats held by far-right members were to be taken by their more moderate contenders. This would change the odds dramatically.

Laura Ewing is running against David Bradley and Dr. Edra Bogle is running against Gail Lowe. Help them if you can.

]]> By: Bob O'H http://austringer.net/wp/index.php/2008/10/15/texas-the-science-textbook-review-panel/comment-page-1/#comment-247427 Bob O'H Thu, 16 Oct 2008 05:17:52 +0000 http://austringer.net/wp/?p=990#comment-247427 Can we buy tickets for the meetings? I don't want a front-row seat, though. It'll take me ages to wash the stains out of my clothes. Can we buy tickets for the meetings? I don’t want a front-row seat, though. It’ll take me ages to wash the stains out of my clothes.

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