Good News From the GOP’s War on Science: Textbook Publishers Resisting Pressure From Texas Creationists
Some good news from the Republican War on Science: the major publishers are resisting pressure from creationists on the Texas State Board of Education to include religious right nonsense about climate change and evolution in science textbooks:
We have now had our first look at changes publishers have submitted in response to objections — many of them attacks on evolution and climate change science — raised by official state review teams evaluating new science textbooks for Texas. And we have very encouraging news:
All 14 publishers are refusing to water down or compromise instruction on evolution and climate change in their proposed new high school biology textbooks.
These publishers deserve our thanks for standing up to pressure from right-wing politicians and activists working to corrupt the science in our children’s textbooks.
But this battle isn’t over yet. The State Board of Education still must vote to adopt these new textbooks and other instructional materials, which will be in classrooms for up to a decade. In past years, ideologues on the state board have refused to adopt textbooks simply because they have political objections to factual content. So in the weeks leading up to the state board’s final vote on November 22, it’s important that we keep fighting to prevent right-wing politicians from putting their personal agendas ahead of the education of millions of Texas kids.