Denying science in the classroom

knapplc

knapplc

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Four states have pending bills which will effectively allow teaching of Creationism in science classrooms.

An ‘alternative facts’ South Dakota bill sparks fears for science education in the Trump era

The bill is one of four that have been introduced so far in 2017 in state legislatures — the others are in Indiana, Oklahoma and Texas — that would allow science denial in the classroom. Since 2014, at least 60 “academic freedom” bills — which permit teachers to paint established science as controversial — have been filed in state legislatures all over the country. Louisiana passed one in 2008, and Tennessee did, too, in 2012.

Some version of the South Dakota bill has been introduced into the state’s legislature for each of the past four years, but this is the first time it passed in the house in which it originated. The Senate approved it, 23 to 12. The state House is dominated by Republicans, so critics of the legislation are hoping they can stop it in the House Education Committee before it reaches the floor.

Glenn Branch, deputy director of the National Center for Science Education, a nonprofit that defends the teaching of evolution and climate change, agrees with Wolf’s reading of the bill and said he is concerned that President Trump’s denial/questioning of man-made climate change and Vice President Pence’s denial of the theory of evolution could encourage state legislators to push through new anti-science legislation.
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Science bill leaves teachers, parents worried

Ross Blank-Libra, a science teacher at Washington High School, said he does not see a need for legislators to create laws about what's taught in the classroom.

"I thought that when the state adopted standards, that pretty much takes care of what we talk about in class," Blank-Libra said.

Blank-Libra added that he sees no problem with instruction on creationism and other nonscientific topics, but whenever a student brings up those topics in his classroom, he's got a standard response:

"That isn't science, and so we're not going to teach that in a science class."
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Time and time and time again we see efforts to put religion into public school curriculum. Why can't people understand that religious instruction belongs at home?

 
Another reason for me to facepalm for my state. There is one legislature from Pennington county who believes those ancestry websites are a government conspiracy to collect your DNA and rob you blind if you have money to inherit.

 
Bigred_inSD said:
Another reason for me to facepalm for my state. There is one legislature from Pennington county who believes those ancestry websites are a government conspiracy to collect your DNA and rob you blind if you have money to inherit.
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Here I'll do it for you
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:facepalm: Since I'm from SD also. I don't miss the cold.

 
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TGHusker said:
Bigred_inSD said:
Another reason for me to facepalm for my state. There is one legislature from Pennington county who believes those ancestry websites are a government conspiracy to collect your DNA and rob you blind if you have money to inherit.
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Here I'll do it for you
default_facepalm.gif
:facepalm: Since I'm from SD also. I don't miss the cold.
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with this new administration and their disbelief in science.....south dakota will be tropical soon enough

 
My question is, why is this a legislature bill issue? Do they pass bills as to what type of math, history, english...etc, is taught?

This should be a debate with the state school boards and their local school boards. People who actually have educational experience and knowledge debating and making these decisions instead of political figures who pander one way or the other.

 
TGHusker said:
Bigred_inSD said:
Another reason for me to facepalm for my state. There is one legislature from Pennington county who believes those ancestry websites are a government conspiracy to collect your DNA and rob you blind if you have money to inherit.
Click to expand...
Here I'll do it for you
default_facepalm.gif
:facepalm: Since I'm from SD also. I don't miss the cold.
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Thanks.

Other crazy bills, SB 89 would make it legal to sue gun free zones if a violent crime happened there. Senators also want to carry their guns right into the chamber during bill discussuon because they are "sitting ducks" we are trying to become the wild west again

 
BigRedBuster said:
My question is, why is this a legislature bill issue? Do they pass bills as to what type of math, history, english...etc, is taught?

This should be a debate with the state school boards and their local school boards. People who actually have educational experience and knowledge debating and making these decisions instead of political figures who pander one way or the other.
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Yep!

 
The hell is wrong with SD? Between the stuff Br_inSD is describing, the creationism bill, and their repeal of the corruption law - their legislature is aiming to turn them into the new Kansas. Yikes. I feel for you, man.

Gosh, conservatives are really skilled at masking some pretty terrible policies in words like "freedom" and "choice". It's a shame they push for such terribly exclusionary policies.

 
Why do they do this? We all know for a fact that the universe sprang from a point of singularity which expanded greatly. And then conditions were just right on some planets for life to spark into existence. Somehow that first simple life form became able to reproduce. Then it evolved into mankind and all life on earth. It's fact!

Why don't we just look at experimental results. I mean, it's a well known fact that you can mix the right combination of chemicals together in a lab, and zap it with electricity, and a functioning, reproducing cell will result. And that cell will then reproduce, and through random mutations, form into generations of increasingly complex lifeforms until it culminates in the 1985 Chicago bears. Look at the experimental results people! Scientists are smart!

/sarcasm
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Omg, the end of intelligent civilization draws nearer w each passage of these insane laws. Isn't it against the Consitution to teach religious philosophies in public schools anyway? Nevermind that, "Creation Science" is a direct attack on real science.

It just never ends with these people.

Send 'em to Noah's Ark Theme Park in good ol', shucks, KY if they want to torture themselves with that crap. And don't let them out to infect everybody else.

I feel sorry for the innocent minds that are getting abused with this bogus "science".

 
If they want to teach it in a course on comparative religions, open to critical scrutiny, then that's fine, or comparative superstition, but no way can this be allowed to be taught as "science".

 
Bigred_inSD said:
Another reason for me to facepalm for my state. There is one legislature from Pennington county who believes those ancestry websites are a government conspiracy to collect your DNA and rob you blind if you have money to inherit.
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I wonder, how do they have comparative DNA samples from your alleged ancestors in the 1st place, i.e., how can they know about your great great great grandpappy Chuck in Zimbabwe, when molecular science didn't exist for Chuck?
 
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