Georgia State Superintendent of Schools on evolution: more Republican strangeness

[bill-pix-trade]

Somehow, I just don't get the point of the decision by the Georgia State Superintendent of Schools to eliminate the word "evolution" from science curricula in Georgia schools.

Superintendent Kathy Cox said the concept of evolution would still be taught under the proposal, but the word would not be used in the curriculum. The proposal would not require schools to buy new textbooks omitting the word evolution and would not prevent teachers from using it.

Cox, a Republican elected to the post in 2002, repeatedly referred to evolution as a “buzzword” Thursday and said the ban was proposed, in part, to alleviate pressure on teachers in socially conservative areas where parents object to evolution being taught.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4107285/

It doesn't surprise me, though. The Republican party of today has abandoned all sense of its former self so it's no great shock to see this. Kathy Cox is only following her party's leader, after all. Back before 9/11, there was an issue burning that I'm sure GWB is most happy got buried by his wars. Remember his decision on stem cell research? That was an equally ambivalent ethical sidestep. In it, George said that it was okay to use stem cell lines already in labs, but not okay to create any new ones.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2001/08/20010809-2.html

Like this decision in Georgia, it was an attempt to appease the religious right without really addressing the issue at hand. Either stem cells and evolution are wrong, and should be banned altogether, or they are not wrong and should be fully allowed. If evil they are, then eradicate them. If not, don't try to sweep them under the rug by tossing your fanatical followers a bone. For God's sake, at least have the conviction to choose, one way or the other.

What kills me is that so many of GWBs followers portray him as a man with true moral conviction, who makes decisions based on what's right because he knows in his heart the right path to follow. Bullshit. The man has all the moral character of cocaine fiend...er...well, maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise either.

Republicans today are abandoning their roots faster than fleas hopping off a dying dog. Finding themselves in power, they suddenly have begun doing all the things they've bitched about liberals doing for decades. The flip-flop of the right-wingers goes something like this:

*Republicans are big spenders (where oh where did that balanced budget go?).

*Republicans want the federal government tell us how to teach our children in schools (does anyone really believe no child will be left behind?).

*Republicans believe the federal government should take control of marriage laws away from the states (so much for their time-honored notion of self-determination at the local level).

*Republicans say something is bad, but then abandon their moral high ground by giving it their (backhanded) blessing to continue (stems cells and evolution).

Hypocrisy. If I had to choose a singe word to describe why I dislike our current administration (and the party it represents) so much, that would be it.

Right wing political corectness run amuck. every side has thier buzz words, and they all suck

 

[sigh]

I think believing that this is a Republican issue as opposed to a religious one is what is ridiculous. Your other examples (abortion and stem cell research) are indeed partisan positions. But that doesn't mean that this issue is one as well.

Well, we'll just have to agree to disagree then, dear, and that's cool too. You think with a clear head. That's all I can ask for, even if we do come to different conclusions.

Life would suck if we all agreed on everything, wouldn't it?

 

[RobDownSouth]

You're right, some of the content was moved down into the younger grades. Middle schoolers today are much more savvy today. Spending more time on concepts allows for much, much more than rote learning. Educational research shows that conceptual understanding takes much longer than rote learning. Conceptual understanding doesn't happen when you cover the history of the world in 180 days. You cannot honestly believe that any teacher can truly teach World or American History in one school year and adequately cover all the concepts. ...

Did you see the debate continue in the Sunday @issue section today? There was a ringing defense of the curriculum proposal by a middle school teacher, citing much of what you mentioned above.

I think it's fascinating to see the battle lines drawn up on this issue: It looks like the primary grade teachers and middle grade teachers on one side of the fence, and the high school teachers and college faculty on the other side.

And the flashpoint truly seems to be the middle school curriculum...pushing material down to lower grades. I'm still not convinced this is the right thing to do, but in all honesty the viewpoints presented today did make me re-examine the question a bit.

 

[gravyrug]

Did you see the debate continue in the Sunday @issue section today? There was a ringing defense of the curriculum proposal by a middle school teacher, citing much of what you mentioned above.

I think it's fascinating to see the battle lines drawn up on this issue: It looks like the primary grade teachers and middle grade teachers on one side of the fence, and the high school teachers and college faculty on the other side.

And the flashpoint truly seems to be the middle school curriculum...pushing material down to lower grades. I'm still not convinced this is the right thing to do, but in all honesty the viewpoints presented today did make me re-examine the question a bit.

Ye gods I'd've been thrilled to no end to have the curriculum spread out like this, both when I was in school, and later when my children were (my youngest is already in high school). Almost all of the problems I had in school were the result of boredom, which would have been alleviated quite a bit if there had been more to learn.

 

[morninggirl5]

Did you see the debate continue in the Sunday @issue section today? There was a ringing defense of the curriculum proposal by a middle school teacher, citing much of what you mentioned above.

I think it's fascinating to see the battle lines drawn up on this issue: It looks like the primary grade teachers and middle grade teachers on one side of the fence, and the high school teachers and college faculty on the other side.

And the flashpoint truly seems to be the middle school curriculum...pushing material down to lower grades. I'm still not convinced this is the right thing to do, but in all honesty the viewpoints presented today did make me re-examine the question a bit.

I don't subscribe to the AJC.

I'm not at all suprised that it's coming down to elementary and middle school teachers supporting and high school teachers opposing the new curriculum. The way the old curricula was set up favored the traditional read the text, hear a lecture, memorize some facts, take a test teaching style favored by most high schools and high school teachers. The new curriculum is set up to encourage active involvement with material, going deeper into the concepts and true conceptual understanding rather than memorization of facts.

Pushing down the curriculum has been happening in reality for years. Kindergarten today looks like 1st grade from 10 years ago. The only areas that haven't been pushing higher expectations onto younger students has been high school.

I'm still curious as to which county your children attend school.

 

[RobDownSouth]

Sigh, it's not a "Republican" thing. I know multitudes of Southern Baptists who vote a straight Democratic ticket that would eliminate evolution being taught in the schools at all. Your topic heading is specious and misleading. It's a religious issue not a Dem. or Rep. issue.

Yes it is a "Republican" thing, your protests to the contrary notwithstanding. In the past 40-odd years, Evolution was hardly ever mentioned at the state level by a succession of Democratic officials. Now that Republicans have seized the reigns of power in Georgia, it's on the front burner.

Republican State Superintendent Kathy Cox took the initiative to remove references to evolution to appease her radical fundie constituency. She's since cemented her standing by using all the standard fundie code words, such as "teaching intelligent design" (the 2004 version of creationism). Republican Governor Sonny Perdue went on the record the other day as wanting equal time for competing "theories"...the stated intent of the education overhaul was to streamline the number of topics being taught, and Sonny wants to shoehorn in creationism.

So your argument that the topic header is somehow "specious and misleading" is absolutely without merit.

 

[Marxist]

No? You'll forgive me if I disagree, having studied both of them in junior high school as I did.

And you don't think it's a serious issue with me? Don't be silly, man. This is a deadly serious issue ot me. I just prefer to believe mg, who is a very good educator and deeply engaged in the issue over you, who just got there.

Doesn't she teach Kindergarten or 1st grade or something? Look, we need all of our teachers, but why is a lower grade teacher your ultimate authority on something obviously aimed at the higher grades?

I live in Georgia too and I've actually met Cox. These people are playing politics with education. It's a truly fucked up situation in a state that contains several top notch colleges (Tech, UGA, Emory, Mercer, etc...).

 

[Dixon Carter Lee]

I see this as a misguided way to deal calmly and intelligently with an issue that has become divisive partly because of language. But the solution is never to give in to the political correctness, and start eliminating words. Jimmy Carter's take on the whole thing was very good.

 

[Marxist]

I see this as a misguided way to deal calmly and intelligently with an issue that has become divisive partly because of language. But the solution is never to give in to the political correctness, and start eliminating words. Jimmy Carter's take on the whole thing was very good.

Maybe the kids can get book covers wrapped in the rebel flag next.

As a concession of course.

This whole thing is beyond retarded. Just when we think we're past something, South Georgia rears its ugly head and reminds us we've got a long way to go.

 

[RobDownSouth]

Well, the latest twist is that folks are realizing now that the "War of Northern Aggression" ( "Civil War" to non-Southerners) will no longer be taught in history classes in high school.

This has the rebel-flag-waving types up in arms, because theoretically a Georgia high school graduate could go 7 or so years (6th grade to college) without being exposed to this vital part of Georgia's culture.

 

[morninggirl5]

Well, the latest twist is that folks are realizing now that the "War of Northern Aggression" ( "Civil War" to non-Southerners) will no longer be taught in history classes in high school.

This has the rebel-flag-waving types up in arms, because theoretically a Georgia high school graduate could go 7 or so years (6th grade to college) without being exposed to this vital part of Georgia's culture.

That realization actually hit last Sunday. It was just overshadowed by the evolution broohaha for a week.

The end result will be that

1. The full Science Literacy Standards will be implemented.

2. The Social Studies Standards will be implemented as written.

There will be a few minor changes to appease the warring factions that won't significantly alter the Performance Standards.

The Hope Scholarship bills go to committee this week. The headlines will be all about how Perdue has the audacity to propose students who receive a Hope Scholarship have a minimum SAT score.

 

[lustforlife74]

I thought the evolution debate or should I call it reaction was settled back in the Fifties. Does anyone with a mind even believe that the world was created in seven days? Where is the evidence?

A 2000 year old piece of fiction cannot explain hard facts.

I guess people will believe what they want to believe. Constantine fucking screwed up this world.