Censorship Prevails, Strengths & Weaknesses Struck out!!

11:15-Strengths and Weakness fails 7-7.  SBOE member Berlanga absent.

For:

Cargill

Leo

Mercer

Bradley

Lowe

McLeroy

Dunbar

Against:

Allen

Agosto

Miller

Craig

Knight

Nunez

Hardy

11:10 a.m.- Board is back from a break, still discussing how they are going to vote.  SBOE member Mavis Knight amends Criag amendment.  Craig Amendment fails 5-8.

10:46-SBOE member Cargill speaks to oppose Craig amendment, supports Mercer (S & W) amendment.  Talking about how students have been called too ignorant to have Science discussions by some professors, how she is not happy out that.

10:30 a.m.

WOW! SBOE member Rick Agosto opposes Craig Amendment.  Criticizes Intelligent Design.

Leo opposes Craig amendment.-points out-hardcore evolutionist do not want evolution challenged in the classroom.  L. Allen supports Craig amendment. Dunbar opposes Craig amendment.

Tincy Miller supports Bob Craig’s amendment, speaking now.  Talking about how she is a Christian.  She is claiming the science theories will not be taught as fact.  “We are not stopping children from challenging every theory that comes into the classroom.”  She claims the experts are okay with this. (What?-The experts clearly do not want evolution being challenged in the classroom).  Mavis Knight supports Craig amendment.  Pat Hardy Supports Craig amendment. Believes “analyze and evalute” is strong enough.

SBOE member Bob Craig proposes substitute amendment-comments by him-Faith and Science can co-exist.  If you keep analyze and evalute, allows open discussion, according to him.  We do want students to discuss the science issue.  Free discussion of evolution, biology. 

Proposed Bob Craig wording:  Keep “Analyze and evalute” and Add includingthe phrase  “what is not fully understood to encourage critical thinking by the student.”

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SOCIAL STUDIES TEKS PROPOSED CHANGES CAUSES SBOE UPROAR: Today’s SBOE meeting is under way.  The Science issue is not up yet.  Interesting, the some SBOE members are complaining about the writing groups recommended changes for Social Studies.  They are talking about removing writing groups members.  But its funny that some SBOE members having been hiding behind these “writing groups” for the Science TEKS recommendations, saying that, they are just following these recommendations.

By the way, these Social Studies change recommendations are OUTRAGEOUS!! Thanks to Brooke Terry of TPPF for testifying and bringing this to the attention of the SBOE. http://www.texaspolicy.com/pdf/2009-03-26-socialstudies-testimony-bt.pdf

Recommended changes: Removes Independence Day and Veterans’ Day from TEKS holiday section, removes the Liberty Bell from a list of patriotic symbols, removes the phrase “describe how religion contributed to the growth of representative government in the American colonies.  In Economics, removes the phrase “in the U.S. free enterprise system.”  WOW.