Mar 23 2009 Texas remains a battleground state in the clash
between creationists and scientists over science education
standards. This week the Texas Board of Education will vote on
whether or not to replace the “strengths and weaknesses”
language that existed in the state’s science standards for the
last 20 years, but was removed this Winter by a narrow 1-vote
margin. The battle represents the latest strategy of
creationists to either hamper the teaching of evolution or
introduce creationist ideas into the science classroom under the
banner of “academic freedom.” The basic concept is that
teachers, students, and school systems should have the academic
freedom to: teach both the strengths and weaknesses of
scientific theories, use outside (unapproved) material in
teaching their classes, and believe whatever they wish without
penalty. The academic freedom strategy is getting some traction.
Americans are generally for freedom, and the bills and language
used to promote their agenda with “academic freedom” may a