Not as Much Whining As Expected, Maybe a Different Tactic

I was expecting more whining about the changes to the Texas curriculum ("And let the Whining Begin!"), but most of it seems to be aimed at the March for Science, to which the DI was not invited. (heh, heh)  I'm sure the whining will come eventually, after all the Dover Trial was 12 years ago and they are still trying to spin it!  Who knows, they might be spinning things a different way, like this guy:

Don McLeroy . . . yes, that 'John Donald McLeroy', the conservative dentist, former member and former president of the Texas State Board of Education (SBOE) . . . is claiming the changes are a 'victory for science'.  Yes, you heard me, not just a victory, but one for science.  The spin is enough to make one dizzy.

Apparently Don, after causing so much embarrassment that it led to his ouster from the Texas SBOE, reads The Sensuous Curmudgeon, one of my favorite blogs.  He actually commented on the post "Texas Science Standards Are Now Revised".  Here's his comment:

"Science won. Check out the before, the recommendations and the final language here: https://donmcleroy.wordpress.com/2017/04/21/who-won/"

Someone asked him if he was the 'real Don McLeroy', to which he replied he was.  Of course I have no way of knowing if it is the same one, but assuming having a WordPress blog with his name and picture it sure seems to be him.  So I will do something that few people should ever do, take a Creationist at his word.

So what is he claiming?  He's disagreeing with all those who defended and supported the adding of the wording to 'analyze and evaluate' back in 2009.  If memory serves was added during his tenure as the President of the Texas SBOE.  Those same marketing phrases that were used to support the original inserted words are now being used again to keep those words in the standards.  Now he says the words of 'examine', 'compare and contrast', and 'identify' are enough to raise his religious objections to science.

No, they are not the same, Dental Don.  The wording has been changed to something that makes it harder for teachers to bring in supplemental (religious) material into the classroom.  'Examining' a scientific theory is not the same as 'analyzing and evaluating' . . . and if you had an understanding of Education and Educational Objectives you would realize that.  Even the phrase 'compare and contrast scientific explanations' requires the explanations to be from science, not religion.

Don, I think you are doing nothing but trying to spin a defeat into a 'Meh!' moment.  Proponents said over and over again 'Gotta have it . . . it's needed for good science education . . .academic freedom . . . critical thinking . . ." and all the other buzz words of support.  The wording gets changed and Don says pretty much 'It doesn't matter!'

Science did win, but it did it by making it easier to teach real science.  Science teachers across Texas will be able to reach educational objectives without being forced to 'Analyze and Evaluate' -- especially without having been given the time and resources needed to perform an actual analysis and evaluation.  Don, I realize you don't understand that, but that's OK, there are plenty of sites that can educate you on the subject -- if you are willing to learn.