Texas Home School Coalition PAC

At the January 2009 meeting, the State Board of Education (SBOE) debated the new textbook standards for Science. As noted in the public record of that meeting, the SBOE was in 99% agreement with the science experts' document.

The only point of contention was whether high school students should have the right to ask questions and discuss the strengths and weaknesses of any theory, including the theory of evolution.

Liberals brought their own evolution 'experts' who actually argued: "High school students are unqualified to ask questions."

As a conservative, I countered: "If our students do not feel the freedom to simply raise their hands and ask a question in science class, then we are no longer living in the United States of America."

And who were these supposed "experts" that the far left championed? A fine conservative organization that supports the teaching of both the strengths and weaknesses of scientific theories (Texans for Better Science Education -- TBSE), found out the answer to that question.

Texans for Better Science Education monitored the Evolutionist "experts" who testified at the SBOE public hearing. TBSE described these "experts" as: "Darwinists, atheists, ACLU members, and at least one bona fide signer of the infamous Humanist Manifesto III, in an attempt to promote indoctrination over critical thinking skills."

At the March 2009 SBOE public hearing, I asked several science experts if they believe we created "world-class standards for each area of science including Biology, Chemistry, Physics, and Environmental Science." They agreed.

However, various experts in evolution still opposed giving students the freedom to discuss and honestly question all scientific theories, especially evolution.

Fifteen thousand constituent e-mails and seven hundred scientists disagreed with those experts.

Texas' new world-class Science standards passed 13-2 with the clear legislative intent that Texas students should have the freedom to raise their hands in class and ask questions about scientific theories.

Because the liberal-left never gives up, they are now spreading a falsehood, trying to convince the public that the newly adopted science standards somehow contain religious doctrine placed there by the SBOE conservatives.

That is a political red herring and a lie. I challenge the liberals to go online and review all of the new Science standards (http://ritter.tea.state.tx.us/teks/). Not one reference is made to anyone's religion -- ZERO. What people will find there, however, are world-class science standards for Texas students.

When these science standards are implemented into our Texas public schools, our students throughout the state will benefit; and a well-educated workforce will be a boon to our Texas economy.