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Christine Comer (director of science for Texas Education Agency)
attacked, forced to resign by creationists
The week of Nov. 20, 2007, Christine Comer who served for 27 years
as a science teacher and 9 years as director of science for the Texas
Education Agency was attacked and forced to resign. Why?
Because
she forwarded an email about a lecture by Dr. Barbara Forrest.
Dr. Forrest is co-author of “Inside Creationism's Trojan Horse” and was
an expert witness in the Dover, PA trial that ruled against the
teaching of
“intelligent design” in science classrooms. Dr. Forrest is also a
signatory
of
the Defend Science statement. In the dismissal letter received by
Comer, it referred to the issue of evolution and creationism as “a
subject
on
which the agency must remain neutral”. Remember this is talking
about
the state agency in charge of science education.
This tactic of insisting that science education be "neutral" on the
issue of
evolution vs. creationism is part of the latest approach pushed by the
Discovery Institute and other promoters of "intelligent design"
creationism. Having been rebuffed in the Dover, PA case in their
efforts
to insert the teaching of "intelligent design" into science classrooms,
these forces are now coming back pushing the tactics of insisting on
science education "being neutral" and "teaching the controversy" as a
way to
open the door for creationism.
As Douglas J. Futuyma, president of the American Institute of
Biological
Sciences and distinguished professor of ecology and evolution at Stony
Brook University put it: "When it comes to science education, we
absolutely cannot remain neutral on evolution. Evolution is the
unifying
principle of modern biology,..." and "...Within biological
science, the
reality of evolution is not controversial."
An editorial in the Waco Tribune (December 6, 2007) stated that
"Texas parents, teachers and lawmakers should be extremely upset over
the recent dismissal of the Texas Education Agency's director of
science
curriculum," and warned, "Because the State Board of Education will
review the state science curriculum next year and set standards for
classroom instruction and textbook selection, Comer's abrupt removal
could signal an opening for the insertion of creationism or intelligent
design into science classrooms in Texas. Texas parents, teachers and
lawmakers should be on guard that the state avoids the mistakes that
led to the 2005 Dover, Pa., lawsuit."
Also remember that Texas, along with New York and California are
because of their size extremely influential in setting standards for
science textbooks across the entire country. This is a serious
attack on science.
read
an article from NCSE on this case...
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