Straight Platform Politics

Texas State Board of Education Controversy: Newly Adopted Science Curriculum Standards – Part 5

Texas science curriculum standards: the Zogby Poll

The proponents of evolution were not entirely happy with the language in the newly adopted Texas science curriculum standards and were not at all happy with the results of a Zogby Poll released right before Darwin Day. See Part 4. See Part 2.

The poll showed that 78% of the respondents supported teaching the scientific evidence for and against the theory of evolution and that 80% agreed that students and teachers should have the academic freedom to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of evolution.

What must be most disconcerting to the evolutionists is that in the 18-24 age group, 100% supported teaching the science for and against evolution and over 95% agreed with the question concerning academic freedom.

This does not bode well for the proponents of evolution even though they claim that the poll was misleading because it played on the respondents’ sense of fairness (teaching both sides) and on their general support for academic freedom.

The poll does show, however, that a very large number of people still think that there is scientific evidence against evolution and that there are weaknesses in the theory. Otherwise, the poll wording would not have misled them.

That alone shows that the controversy surrounding evolution is alive and well and will not go away anytime soon.

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Texas State Board of Education Controversy: Newly Adopted Science Curriculum Standards – Part 4

Texas science curriculum standards: the controversy continued

The old Texas science curriculum standards contained anti-evolution code words. See Part 3. Texas State Board of Education voted to remove the offensive code words, but evolutionists were not entirely happy with the new language.

The new science standards required students, in all fields of science, to “analyze, evaluate, and critique scientific explanations by using empirical evidence, logical reasoning, and experimental and observational testing, including examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations, so as to encourage critical thinking by the student.”

Did you find the new offensive code words? “Examining all sides of scientific evidence.” According to proponents of evolution, there is only one side to evolution and these new code words will now open the classroom to non-science.

Evolutionists claim that science has proven the theory; it is fact. And it needs to be taught as fact. Anything else is junk. Students must not be taught anything that may, in anyway, introduce doubt concerning the theory of evolution.

But a newly released Zogby Poll showed that a large majority of the public feel that students should have the opportunity to learn the evidence for and against the theory of evolution. This was not good news for the proponents of evolution.

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Texas State Board of Education Controversy: Newly Adopted Science Curriculum Standards – Part 2

Texas science curriculum standards: importance continued

Textbook publishers write their books to meet Texas curriculum standards because Texas is one of the nation’s largest textbook buyers. Since these textbooks are sold to school districts in most of the other states, the way evolution is taught in Texas is the way it will be taught to students throughout the nation. See Part 1

But there was another reason why the decision of the Texas State Board of Education was so important. This year is the 200^th birthday of Charles Darwin as well as the 150^th anniversary of his Origin of Species. Darwin Day, February 12^th, is touted as a global celebration of science, reason, and humanity. Darwin Day, the brainchild of the humanist community, was first celebrated in 1995.

Humanists have been looking forward to, and building excitement for, this year’s celebration. It would be pretty embarrassing if Texas approved science standards questioning Darwin’s work when so many celebrations were scheduled or already underway.

Humanism rejects God, religion, and the supernatural. One of the signers of Humanist Manifesto III (2003) is Eugenie Scott. She signed as the Executive Director of National Center for Science Education. The NCSE worked extremely hard to influence the Texas State Board of Education’s decision.

A lot was at stake. School children must not be allowed to question evolution, Darwin’s theory of the origin of species.

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The Self-Esteem Movement: Whatever Happened To Common Sense? Part 4

The self-esteem movement: The claims

Parents and teachers were led to believe that the wild claims of the self-esteem movement were true. Boosting self-esteem and protecting children from life’s adversities were of great importance. Unfortunately, the claims are not only bogus but have proven to be dangerous. See Part 3

Claim: High self-esteem will decrease crime. Research indicates: High self-esteem is more likely to be present in a person of aggression and violence than low self-esteem. Schools are now required to develop policies on how they will deal with bullying and how they will deal with the aggressive child – the bully. Is baseless self-esteem causing some children to become bullies?

Claim: High self-esteem will improve academic performance. Research indicates: If anything, it is the other way around. Namely, high academic performance will improve self-esteem. If boosting self-esteem improved academic performance, then American students should be at the top in international math and science tests. They are not and have not been so for years. They consistently have been at or near the bottom. They consistently, however, have been at the top in overrating their performances on these tests. See Part 2

Claim: High self-esteem will deter youth from getting into sex, drugs, and alcohol. Research indicates: High self-esteem leads to earlier sex, drug, and alcohol use. These youth seem to minimize the risks involved - what has happened to others will not happen to them. They have been raised in a protective bubble and have an unreal outlook on life.

Research also debunks the claims concerning correlations between high self-esteem and forming good relationships, reforming criminals, enhancing job performance, and improving how one deals with stress.

Roy Baumeister is a psychologist and a former advocate of the self-esteem movement. His research has debunked the claims of the movement and his advice is that nonprofits, policymakers, parents, teachers, and therapists should forget about self-esteem and invest in self-control.

Now that is common sense.

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The Self-Esteem Movement: Whatever Happened To Common Sense? Part 3

The self-esteem movement: The real world

School districts across the nation believed the wild claims of the self-esteem movement that boosting self-esteem was the cure for many social ills. Boosting self-esteem came first and academics came second. We now have a generation of poor academic performers who are out of touch with reality. But they do have high opinions of themselves. See Part 2

Parents and teachers thought they were doing right by guarding their children against criticism, correction, or anything negative. But criticism, correction, and negative feedback develop academic skills and build character. Empty, phony praise causes children to believe lies about themselves and their skills.

When these children graduate from high school with their straight-A report cards, they have a rude awakening in college. They are unprepared for the real world and are, unfortunately, emotionally fragile. Research has shown that more and more college students, not being able to handle criticism, are seeking counseling.

We have raised a generation that has an inflated sense of self and an inflated sense of entitlement, but is incapable of dealing with life’s problems and pressures. Pain and failure are not seen as opportunities for improvement, but as destructive attacks that must be avoided at all cost. It is no coincidence that this generation also has a higher incidence of depression.

Self-esteem and confidence are good traits if they have a real foundation. If they lack a true base, they are like a house of cards that will cause a life to be in shambles at the slightest wind of adversity.

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The Self-Esteem Movement: Whatever Happened To Common Sense? Part 2

The self-esteem movement: Invading the classroom

Once the self-esteem movement took hold, there was no stopping it. School districts across the nation grabbed onto it as the panacea for societal ills. Self-esteem came first and academics came second.  See Part 1

Teachers and parents were told that as students’ self-esteem improved, academic achievement would follow. Students were supposed to be praised and protected from criticism. Core academic courses were secondary; self-esteem was everything. Saving society was at stake.

Grades became inflated. We had to protect students from failure. Everyone was a winner. Everyone was special. ‘A for effort’ was rampant. Students were not receiving an honest evaluation of their work.

State governments started programs to boost students’ self-esteem. Tax-payers were told that if children from low-income families were given new clothes for school, it would increase their self-esteem and thereby improve their academic performance. The few logical people who dared question such nonsense were ridiculed.

It was so unfair to the children to tie their self-esteem to material goods. What would happen when those new clothes were not new anymore? What were the children suppose to think of themselves then? Or were the tax-payers expected to continue paying for new clothes?

New clothes would make the children happy – temporarily. But did the new clothes programs result in improved academic achievement? No. There is nothing wrong in trying to make children happy. (But that’s not the responsibility of state governments. Service organizations are great resources for those types of programs.) But do not lie to them. Academic achievement takes hard work.

Were the teachers and parents successful in boosting the self-esteem of their children? Yes. Did it improve academic performance? No. American students have for many years scored at or near the bottom of international math and science tests. But they scored at the top in ranking their expected performance results. The students thought very highly of themselves as they were performing miserably.

We are now dealing with a generation of poor performers who have no clue, no idea of reality. But they do have high self-esteem.

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