Re: California: Textbook teaching evolution debated

On Feb 28, 6:30 am, Jason Spaceman <notrea...@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
wrote:
From the article:
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A science book for seventh-graders has brought the national debate
over evolution and creationism to Ventura County.

On Monday, the Ventura County Board of Education postponed a vote on
the textbook, "Focus on California Life Science," because board member
Ron Matthews objected to its discussion of evolution.

While the book talks about "the theory of evolution," it also uses the
phrase "students know" when discussing aspects of evolution, Matthews
said.

"This is taught as theory, yet it's taught as fact," he said. "We need
to present a broad spectrum of knowledge, and we don't do that here."

Matthews did not return phone calls Tuesday, but he has a long history
of arguing that creationism and evolution should be taught side by
side in public school classrooms. . . .

. . .Board member Chris Valenzano said Tuesday that he also objects to
the way the proposed textbook treats evolution because he believes
students should be exposed to all theories of creation.

Valenzano would like the county to offer an elective class that would
teach creationism, so that students who want to could learn that
theory, too.

"I don't have a problem with evolution being taught as one idea, as
long as other ideas are taught, as well," Valenzano said. "We can't
just lock them into ideas the state chooses to communicate."
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Read it athttp://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/county_news/article/0,1375,VCS_2...
orhttp://tinyurl.com/2ahext

J. Spaceman

Got a valid textbook? No.
Got a valid lesson plan? No.
Got anything valid to teach? No.
Got a valid controversy? No.

End of discussion.

Ventura county just hosted the Gordon Conference on quantitative
genetics. Not totally irrelevant to anything these boobs want to talk
about.

Ron Okimoto


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