Another controversy over Texas curriculum concerns Bible classes in the public schools. Questions include whether state law requires that a course be offered if requested by 15 or more students, and whether the State Board should adopt standards for Bible classes or leave everything up to the local districts.
Monthly Archives: March 2008
compromise on Texas English/reading curriculum
March 30, 2008 – 12:22 pm
Update Sept. 1, 2008. Since people are still finding their way to this post, I need to add that the compromise noted here has been swept away by subsequent developments. In chronological order, see
Texas ELAR standards debacle (evolution next?)
TX School Bd member seeks replacement of Bd chair
Bradley: Teachers “got spanked” by Texas Bd. of Ed.
Momentous [...]
“Ben Stein is the Rosa Parks of Darwin Skeptics”
March 30, 2008 – 9:21 am
Proponents of “Intelligent Design” continue trying to portray their efforts as a struggle for civil rights, as in this amusing post touting Ben Stein as “the Rosa Parks of Darwin Skeptics.”
responsive, differentiated instruction
March 8, 2008 – 8:02 pm
Something from Mara Sapon-Shevin that I think is worth sharing (posted here with her permission):
Date: Wed, 13 Feb 2008
From: Mara Sapon-Shevin
To: Tony Whitson
Hi Tony, Yes, I know this story and tell it as about responsive, differentiated instruction, although “tactful teaching” is a nice reframing! I talk about the swim instructor knowing (and all that implies) [...]
“Testing boosts memory, study doesn’t”
March 8, 2008 – 5:06 pm
A study reported last month in Science is being discussed around the blogosphere under titles like “Testing boosts memory, study doesn’t,” and “Testing, not studying, makes for strong long-term memories.”
I think the 2½-page published report of the study itself makes for an excellent item to “test” students’ (I’m thinking now of grad students in education) [...]
Science education wins in TX primaries
March 7, 2008 – 2:37 pm
In the March 4 Texas primary contest, where Huckabee’s campaign might have benefited anti-evolution challengers for the state board of education, those challengers were defeated by the (pro-science) incumbents:
Time Mag: Huckabee, Texas, Evolution
March 1, 2008 – 6:15 pm
The potential Huckabee effect on teaching evolution is now getting the attention I was calling for in an earlier post here. As reported now by Time Magazine,
