Some things are constants. Death, taxes, and southern states trying to pass religious bills in the name of education. The latest is from Oklahoma and it’s not even pretneding to have the students’ best interest at heart. Notice that it’s listed as an “emergency” bill. Like anything in education (besides the generally poor quality of US education) is an emergency.
Here’s the bill summary
The measure requires the State Board of Education, district boards of education and
administrators to endeavor to create an environment that encourages students to explore
scientific questions and respond appropriately to differences of opinion about controversial
issues. Educational authorities will endeavor to assist teachers to find more effective ways to
present the science curriculum where it addresses scientific controversies and teachers will be
permitted to help students analyze the scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing scientific
theories. No student will be penalized because the student subscribes to a particular position on
scientific theories.
Good grief. So a kid can say, I don’t believe in gravity because the road runner never falls. The teacher cannot penalize him for being an utter moron.
You know what Mr. Legislator, good teachers already teach kids to analyze scientific evidence. You are basically telling the kids that they can ignore evidence… ignore science… and can write about what they believe instead.
True story, Mr. Legislator, I had a student in my class who believed in ghosts. We were talking about phosphorescence and how the phosphor on a CRT TV can absorb light and glow slightly when the lights are turned off (in some cases). We discussed the chemistry of how molecules emit light. We had already talked about energy levels of electrons and how photons are created by electrons changing energy levels.
So, after our discussion on TVs, she stated that I was wrong and it was ghosts causing TVs to glow at night. Do you really think that I should have allowed that as a valid answer on a test?
If so, then you, Mr. Legislator, are an idiot. Fortunately, I think that your actual research institutions in Oklahoma (and many of the citizens of Oklahoma) are smarter than you and actually understand how science work and why we teach science the way we do. I’m sure that they will give you an ear full about your stupid bill. If they don’t, I’ll be happy to.
So, if you live in, or know someone in Oklahoma, write to the members of the Common Education Committee and tell them that this bill is not appropriate for actual use in the science classroom.
