This from the
Herald-Leader:
Panel put activists above Ky. students
A state legislative panel's Wednesday rejection of new
science standards for Kentucky public school systems presents an
"either-or" situation that is thoroughly depressing both ways.
 |
| From Marc Murphy @ C-J |
If
the five members of the General Assembly's Administrative Regulation
Review Subcommittee who voted against the standards truly reject the
overwhelming scientific evidence supporting climate change and the
theory of evolution, it's a depressing commentary about the quality of
the people we send to the General Assembly.
If some or all of
those lawmakers don't reject the scientific evidence but cynically voted
to keep future generations of Kentucky children from getting the best
education possible just to placate the coal industry and religious
conservatives and help them win re-election, it's a depressing
commentary about the quality of the people we send to the General
Assembly.
(The five were Sen. Joe Bowen, R-Owensboro; Sen. Mary
Beth Gregory, R-Monticello; Sen. Ernie Harris, R-Crestwood; Rep. Johnny
Bell, D-Glasgow; and Rep. Tommy Turner, R-Somerset.)
The Next Generation Science Standards represent the work of a 26-state consortium that includes Kentucky.
While
the guidelines do emphasize evolution and climate change, they cover
other aspects of teaching science in middle schools and high schools.
The
goal is to give students a broader hands-on understanding of how
science works and better prepare them for college and beyond. And no
student's science education would be complete if evolution and climate
change are removed from the discussion.
Fortunately, Gov. Steve
Beshear understands how important these new standards are for ensuring
future Kentucky students the science education they will need as they
move on through the 21st century.
His office issued a statement
after Wednesday's subcommittee meeting saying he would use his executive
authority to implement them. We applaud him for doing what those five
naysayers on the subcommittee didn't have the wisdom or gumption to do.
Read more here: http://www.kentucky.com/2013/09/13/2819095/beshear-right-to-ok-science-plan.html#storylink=cpy
3 comments:
Admittedly I am no scientist but a number of the practitioners (and even a couple of contributors to this blog)have pointed out that some of the standards don't cover significant elements well - for example chemistry and physics.
I know a number of folks want to pin this action by Governor Bashear as being a curageous push back against portrayed small minded,conservative Christian folks who some how have manipulated 5 of 6 members on a legislative review board to vote against the standards. Before some start applauding the governor for his secular sensativities we might want to make sure he hasn't actually exposed his lack of scientific knowledge. Worries me that a committee assigned to review something which will impact the science education of every public school child in our state and for which has reviewed and provide public forum for comment can simply be swept away by a guy who has never taught a science class in his life and probably hasn't stepped foot in a science class (beyond pandering to voters as are the member of this committee accused) since the transistor was considered cutting edge technology.
Be careful what you support, you might just get something you weren't expecting.
Worries me that a committee assigned to review something which will impact the science education of every public school child in our state and for which has reviewed and provide public forum for comment can simply be swept away by a guy who has never taught a science class in his life
You have it backwards. The people who understand and who actually teach science reviewed the standards and approved them. An administrative committee of non-science educated lawmakers didn't. It was purely political pandering.
Do you really think that a handful of KY legislators know more about teaching science than the National Science Teachers Association, the National Academy of Science, the American Chemical Society, etc? All of those groups (and many more) have approved the new standards.
I'm not normally a Bashear fan, but he did the right thing here.
If I have it backwards then why even bother with legislative review as a part of the process? Why not just circumvent the entire state legislature whenever determining to adopt any professional organization standard, operational proceedure or methodology?
I don't know this Cothran fellow which so many on this blog demonize and lambast but if he is able to muster a supportive group which influences a decision made by legislators, I think we need to be carful about throwing out the elected legislators' decision via one executive. Last time I looks that's how the process works - lobbyist and special intrest groups voice their groups position and try to sway legislators who create regulations and laws. I suspect the same folks who are now applauding the governor would be crying that the electorates' representatives will was being trampled by a tyrant if the converse had occurred with the legislator's approving and the governor vetoing their approval of the science standards.
My point is not about your position on this topic but being true to the procedures in place in our government.
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