The Texas Observer

Social conservatives on the State Board of Education once again took up their crusade this afternoon against teaching the theory of evolution to Texas high school students.

The headline event of today’s meeting was a vote on whether to require science class textbooks to explore the “strengths and weaknesses” of evolution. The motion to include those words failed — at least on this day. It was a momentary defeat for social conservatives. The State Board of Education has two more chances to vote on the textbook standards before they’re finalized in March. Right now, the pro-evolution side has a slim one-vote advantage (8-7), so the results could certainly change.

The winning margin was provided by San Antonio Democrat Rick Agosto, who many viewed as the board’s swing vote. On this day at least, he voted to keep the “strengths and weaknesses” language out of Texas science curriculum.

Many scientists see the “strength and weaknesses” issue as a backdoor way to attack the theory of evolution and perhaps slip into classrooms a few words about creationism or Intelligent Design or other non-scientific explanations of human origins. (For more background, read our story on the board’s November meeting here — hint: it’s the second item.)

Agosto told reporters after the vote that he heard from many people in his district on the issue and that he wanted to maintain the textbook standards designed by teachers and a panel of scientists. Agosto could still change his mind.

Dan Quinn, spokesman with the Texas Freedom Network, said he was “cautiously optimistic” about the next two votes — one more tomorrow and a final vote in March.

Social conservatives lost the main event, but they may have won the day. They prevailed on a series of preliminary votes that — if finalized — could dilute the teaching of evolution in Texas schools.

Barbara Cargill, board member from The Woodlands, altered the standards for the state’s new Earth and Space Science class. The most eye-catching change requires students to question the fossil record. Cargill, part of the board’s solid seven-member Christian right faction, tacked on a phrase that requires students to “assess the arguments for and against universal common descent in light of fossil evidence.”

That may sound rather mundane. But the theory of universal common descent is central to evolutionary theory — and is supported by nearly all the world’s biologists. Most of the “arguments against” this widely accepted scientific concept come from creationists and Intelligent Design proponents. Cargill’s amendment could allow those arguments into Texas’ science classrooms.

Not to be outdone, Chair Don McLeroy of College Station, an avowed creationist, monkeyed with the “science concepts” section of the biology standards. McLeroy added language that asks students to “describe the sufficiency or insufficiency of common ancestry to explain sudden appearance, stasis and sequential nature of groups in the fossil record.”

After introducing his new language, McLeroy spent 15 minutes trying to back up his claims that the theory of adaptation and natural selection is flawed and not necessarily supported by parts of the fossil record. His arguments consisted of quotes from books by Stephen Jay Gould and other scientists that McLeroy ripped out of context to support his thesis.

Cargill and McLeroy’s additions also must survive two more rounds of voting — one tomorrow and another in March.

If these amendments make it into the state’s science textbooks, Texas students may hear a lot about the “weaknesses” of evolution after all.

by Dave Mann

This entry was posted on Thursday, January 22nd, 2009 at 10:55 pm and is filed under Education. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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