NCSE Evolution and Climate Education Update for 2015/04/24
Submitted by Peter Burns on Fri, 2015-04-24 15:49.
National Center for Science Education
(by NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch)
Dear friends of NCSE, The fifth attempt to repeal the so-called Louisiana Science Education Act fails. Plus Glenn Branch reviews a book on science and religion for eSkeptic, Zack Kopplin reveals evidence about the bad effects of the so-called Louisiana Science Education Act, and Emily Schoerning joins the NCSE staff.
REPEAL EFFORT FAILS AGAIN IN LOUISIANA Louisiana's Senate Bill 74 was deferred on a 4-3 vote in the Louisiana Senate Education Committee on April 22, 2015, which effectively kills the bill in committee. The bill, introduced by Karen Carter Peterson (D-District 5), would, if enacted, repeal Louisiana Revised Statutes 17:285.1, which implemented the so-called Louisiana Science Education Act, passed and enacted in 2008, and thus opened the door for scientifically unwarranted criticisms of evolution and climate science to be taught in the state's public schools. SB 74 was the fifth bill of its kind, following SB 175 in 2014, SB 26 in 2013, SB 374 in 2012, and SB 70 in 2011. The law targeted for repeal calls on state and local education administrators to help to promote "critical thinking skills, logical analysis, and open and objective discussion of scientific theories being studied including, but not limited to, evolution, the origins of life, global warming, and human cloning"; these four topics were described as controversial in the original draft of the legislation. It also allows teachers to use "supplemental textbooks and other instructional materials to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review scientific theories in an objective manner" if so permitted by their local school boards. Speaking to NBC News on April 12, 2013, Louisiana's governor Bobby Jindal (R), who signed the bill into law over the protests of the state's scientific and educational communities, acknowledged (at around 9:00) that the law allows teachers to "teach our kids about creationism." Testifying in favor of the bill were Zack Kopplin, who has been campaigning for the repeal of the Louisiana Science Education Act since 2010, when he was a senior in high school. Kopplin told the committee about recently uncovered evidence of the effects of the law, which he also presented in a column published in Slate (April 21, 2015). Also testifying in favor of the bill were Scott Lane and his son C. C. Lane, who, as NCSE previously reported, were forced to sue the Sabine Parish School Board in 2014 over a teacher's advocacy of creationism, which included a description of evolution as "a 'stupid' theory that 'stupid people made up because they don't want to believe in God.'" For the text of Louisiana's Senate Bill 74 as introduced (PDF), visit: http://www.legis.la.gov/legis/ViewDocument.aspx?d=933046 For Kopplin's article in Slate, visit: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/04/creationism_in_louisiana_public_school_science_classes_school_boards_and.single.html And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in Louisiana, visit: http://ncse.com/news/louisiana BRANCH REVIEWS WHY SCIENCE DOES NOT DISPROVE GOD NCSE's deputy director Glenn Branch reviewed Amir D. Aczel's Why Science Does Not Disprove God (William Morrow, 2014) for eSkeptic (April 22, 2015). He was unenthusiastic about the book, particularly on account of its treatment of evolution, although he allowed, "Aczel writes clearly and fluently, and the text is occasionally enlivened by his engaging reports of his interviews with sympathetic contemporary scientists." But, Branch concluded, "the value of his book overall is vitiated by not only his sloppiness with the historical, scientific, and philosophical material but also his uncharitable treatment of his opponents. ... Anyone seeking a judicious critique of the New Atheism's claims about religion and science will be disappointed by Aczel's book." The review was also published in Skeptic 20:1. For Branch's review of Why Science Does Not Disprove God, visit: http://www.skeptic.com/eskeptic/15-04-22/#feature CREATIONISM REVEALED IN LOUISIANA SCHOOLS Writing in Slate (April 21, 2015), Zack Kopplin reports, "I have evidence that religion, not science, is what's being taught systematically in some Louisiana school systems. I have obtained emails from creationist teachers and school administrators, as well as a letter signed by more than 20 current and former Louisiana science teachers in Ouachita Parish in which they say they challenge evolution in the classroom without legal 'tension or fear' because of pro-creationism policies." In his article, Kopplin explains that he recently obtained material from various Louisiana school districts via public records requests. The result suggests that the Louisiana Science Education Act is widely regarded in the state as affording license for teachers to present scientifically unwarranted critiques of evolution. NCSE's Josh Rosenau was quoted as commenting, "Getting teachers to use attacks on evolution as a proxy for advocating creationism has a long history, especially in Louisiana." Kopplin, who has been campaigning for the repeal of the Louisiana Science Education Act since 2010, when he was a senior in high school, concluded by noting the relevance of his findings to the repeal effort. He noted, "The Senate Education Committee will consider a new bill to repeal the Louisiana Science Education Act on Wednesday" (i.e., April 22, 2015; the bill in question is Senate Bill 74, dubbed the "Intelligent Outcomes Wanted Act"), adding, "I look forward to the legislators doing their part." For Kopplin's article in Slate, visit: http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/science/2015/04/creationism_in_louisiana_public_school_science_classes_school_boards_and.single.html And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in Louisiana, visit: http://ncse.com/news/louisiana COMINGS AND GOINGS AT NCSE NCSE is pleased to announce that Emily Schoerning has joined the NCSE staff as Director of Community Organizing and Research. Schoerning earned her Ph.D. in microbiology at Arizona State University and then, as a post-doctoral research scholar at the University of Iowa, turned her attention to science education research. In Iowa, she established partnerships to support and improve science education in rural communities. At NCSE, she will be building on that work by spearheading a new initiative that aims to help local communities form and nurture coalitions to support and improve science education. At the same time, NCSE bids farewell to Mark McCaffrey, who joined NCSE as a Programs and Policy Director in 2012 to launch its climate change education initiative. McCaffrey's unique combination of expertise in pedagogy, climate science, and energy literacy was invaluable in providing NCSE with the intellectual firepower to launch the initiative, and his extensive network of collaborators helped to raise awareness of NCSE's entry onto the climate change education scene. While at NCSE, he wrote Climate Smart & Energy Wise (Corwin 2014), a guide for educators. All of us at NCSE wish him the best in his new endeavors. For information about NCSE staff and available speakers, visit: http://ncse.com/about/staff http://ncse.com/about/speakers WHAT'S NEW FROM THE SCIENCE LEAGUE OF AMERICA Have you been visiting NCSE's blog, The Science League of America, recently? If not, then you've missed: * Amanda Glaze discussing acceptance and rejection of evolution in the Heart of Dixie: http://ncse.com/blog/2015/04/it-s-just-theory-0016310 * Stephanie Keep pondering a cartoon about the survival of the sneakiest: http://ncse.com/blog/2015/04/classroom-sneak-attack-evolution-0016299 * Josh Rosenau reflecting on The Sixth Extinction's Pulitzer Prize: http://ncse.com/blog/2015/04/distinction-sixth-extinction-0016316 And much more besides! For The Science League of America, visit: http://ncse.com/blog Thanks for reading. And don't forget to visit NCSE's website -- http://ncse.com -- where you can always find the latest news on evolution and climate education and threats to them. -- Sincerely, Glenn Branch Deputy Director National Center for Science Education, Inc. 420 40th Street, Suite 2 Oakland, CA 94609-2509 510-601-7203 x303 fax: 510-601-7204 800-290-6006 branch@ncse.com http://ncse.com Check out NCSE's new blog, Science League of America: http://ncse.com/blog Read Reports of the NCSE on-line: http://reports.ncse.com Subscribe to NCSE's free weekly e-newsletter: http://groups.google.com/group/ncse-news NCSE is on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter: http://www.facebook.com/evolution.ncse http://www.youtube.com/NatCen4ScienceEd http://twitter.com/ncse NCSE's work is supported by its members. Join today! http://ncse.com/join
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