Friday, June 06, 2008

 

Improving Education


Here is some stuff on the latest entry in the Our State Is the Stupidest Sweepstakes: Michigan.

First, the background:

State Sen. Bill Hardiman (R., Grand Rapids) and State Rep. John Moolenaar (R., Midland) have introduced so-called "academic freedom" legislation that would require teachers and students to explore the "strengths and weakness" of evolutionary theory.

Then there are the standard lies:

"This is about science and helping prepare the best scientists of the future for our state and country," said Mr. Moolenaar. He added that he wants students to have the "academic freedom to explore and critically examine scientific theories."

Then there's some good sense:

What is really going on is one more attempt by the religious right to drag in "intelligent design" as an alternative to evolution. Nor is this something limited to Michigan. The bills introduced in Lansing are very similar to those introduced in half-a-dozen other states.

All of them closely follow a template prepared by the Seattle-based Discovery Institute, the leading center for anti-evolution strategy. ...

You don't have to be a rocket scientist, or even an evolutionary biologist, to know that positioning Michigan as America's leading anti-science state isn't exactly likely to be good for business.

History shows that lawmakers meddling with school curricula is almost never a good idea. Which raises the question: Don't these legislators have better things to do?

But then there's the opposite:

Dr. Ryan Kelly is the head of curriculum at Rockford Public Schools. ...

"It's a theory, there are other theories and if you want to discuss that as a class, as a whole [teachers at Rockford are] open to do that," said Kelly.

But there's some good news:

[Dr. Kelly is] a former biology teacher.

No doubt the best thing he ever did for science education.
.

Comments:
Grand Rapids and Midland. Those who are familiar with the political micro-geography of Michigan realize the only thing missing is Howell.
 
Nice of them to make it so easy to keep tabs on them with simple triangulation.

;-)
 
This post could so easily be turned into a comedy routine... Maybe that's the way to get science in front of the masses!
 
I'm from Midland and when all these bills started popping up in other states I prophesied that it would happen in Michigan and that Midland would play a significant role.

Well, that's one prophecy down, must be time to start a cult.
 
I am always astounded that groups such as these have the gall to impose their "educational reforms" only on the relatively weak (i.e. K-12 kids).

Here is an idea:
Tell them they can come back to the table when (and only when) they get a full pass from a panel of grad students and faculty from a biology department. No, not THAT one... it has to be an accredited school! Bwahhahaha
 
I'm from Midland ...

My sympathies!

Well, that's one prophecy down, must be time to start a cult.

Well, I imagine about any source of amusement would be an improvement there.

;-)

... get a full pass from a panel of grad students and faculty from a biology department. No, not THAT one... it has to be an accredited school!

One of my favorite creationist doofs is Babu Ranganathan, who actually boasts of having a "B.A. with academic concentrations in Bible and Biology from Bob Jones University," as if it is to his credit rather than a mark of his ignorance, not just in biology but in the Bible as well.
 
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