The Texas State Science Curriculum Director, Chris Comer, resigned - well, more correctly, she was forced out - because she may have, possibly, you know, implied that the Texas Education Agency might have a slight bias against "intelligent design" by forwarding an email "announcing a presentation being given by Barbara Forrest, author of Inside Creationism's Trojan Horse, a book that says creationist politics are behind the movement to get intelligent design theory taught in public schools .... Comer sent the e-mail to several individuals and a few online communities, saying, 'FYI.' " Well Jeebus Gawd, we can't have the Science Director for the entire State of Texas' public schools even suggesting that she is, like, pro-science, now can we? How dare she forward such an email, and put "FYI" on it!
The email upset TEA senior adviser Lizzette Reynolds, formerly deputy legislative director for then Governor Dumbya, that she immediately sent a memo to Comer's bosses. Ms. Reynolds felt this was so important that she sent it from her sickbed less than two hours after someone sent it to her at home. "This is highly inappropriate," Reynolds said in an e-mail to Comer's supervisors. "I believe this is an offense that calls for termination or, at the very least, reassignment of responsibilities. This is something that the State Board, the Governor's Office and members of the Legislature would be extremely upset to see because it assumes this [science?] is a subject that the agency supports."
They've forced Comer out just months before a scheduled comprehensive review of the Agency's curriculum. Coinkydink? I think not.
The article goes on to state:
State science curriculum director resigns
copyright By Laura Heinauer
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Thursday, November 29, 2007
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Eugenie Scott, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, which sent the original e-mail to Comer announcing the event, said Comer's situation seems to be a warning to agency employees.
"This just underscores the politicization of science education in Texas," Scott said. "In most states, the department of education takes a leadership role in fostering sound science education. Apparently TEA employees are supposed to be kept in the closet and only let out to do the bidding of the board."
Kathy Miller, president of the Texas Freedom Network, an advocacy group that monitors state textbook content, said the group wants to know more about the case. The network has raised questions about past comments made by State Board of Education Chairman Don McLeroy about teaching creationism.
"It's important to know whether politics and ideology are standing in the way of Texas kids getting a 21st century science education," Miller said. "We've already seen a faction of the State Board of Education try to politicize and censor what our schoolchildren learn. It would be even more alarming if the same thing is now happening inside TEA itself."
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Speaking of Christo-fascism, did you see the latest about Mike Huckabee? 'Seems back in 1992, as a candidate for the Senate, he wanted people with AIDS to be rounded up and quarantined.
"If the federal government is truly serious about doing something with the AIDS virus, we need to take steps that would isolate the carriers of this plague.""Plague?"
He also said back then that there was too much money going to find a cure for AIDS, and that if people like Elizabeth Taylor and Madonna wanted to do something about it, fine - let them donate from their own funds.
Now, however, as a Presidential candidate, Huckabee says he's in favor of funding through the NIH. On his website, he says:
"My administration will be the first to have an overarching strategy for dealing with HIV and AIDS here in the United States, with a partnership between the public and private sectors that will provide necessary financing and a realistic path toward our goals."(I shudder to think what he really means by "our goals.")
Read the full article here.
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Get ready for a rough ride in '08, America.
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