2010 Midterms do Little to Help Texas Science Education

Like many Americans who tend to vote more blue than red (okay, I can’t remember when I ever supported a GOP candidate, but that’s beside the point, at least in this case), I was disappointed by Tuesday’s election results.  I certainly wasn’t as disappointed as I could have been (had there been a GOP Senate takeover), but it was as frustrating a shitshow of economic angst as I’ve ever seen.  Moreover, the GOP was able to extend that wave of voter anger to gubernatorial  and state lege elections, and they now hold 24 governorships and 54 state legislative chambers around the country.

This wasn’t exactly a surprise to anyone who has been paying attention to polls for the past few months, and I certainly wasn’t shocked when I read those numbers Wednesday.  In regard to science education, though, something that happened in Texas did shock me.  Two moderate and well-qualified educators (Judy Jennings and Rebecca Bell-Metereau) were soundly defeated in State Board of Education races by conservative candidates (they also happen to be Democrats).  After months years of shenanigans rarely found outside of a gypsy carnival, apparently Texans felt it appropriate to reward the conservative bloc of the SBOE by electing Republican candidates.

The circus antics and ideological battles of the Texas SBOE are well documented over the past few years, and they were certainly highlighted with the recent battle over the teaching of evolution in science classes.  Having sat in on those hearings, and as a scientist, it was abundantly clear how little regard was paid to the opinions of educators and experts when it came to deciding how our children would be taught.  Certainly, when fallen chairman/dentist/non-teacher Don McLeroy was defeated by a primary challenger this year, it seemed that a moderate tone could shape the next incarnation of the board.

Now, full disclosure – I met defeated Democratic candidate Rebecca Bell-Metereau, and I have publicly stated that she is not only intelligent and respectful of science, she is a super nice person.  So I am biased.  But her wonderful persona is not why she should have been elected (trust me, nice people have no place in a SBOE hearing).  Her experience as an educator and her defense of evidence-based science curricula is, however.  It is now unlikely that there will be a serious challenge or re-analysis of either the social studies or science standards in Texas.  This means that students in Texas will likely have to continue discussing the “strengths and weaknesses of evolution” an idea that, in addition to being absolutely meaningless, has been refuted to the nth degree by expert scientists and educators.

Some have said that this SBOE election sent a message that Texans don’t want Dunbars and McLeroys deciding their children’s education.  I disagree.  In a race where most people are simply ignorant (sorry, but most people just don’t follow this level of elections) of who they are voting for, they will choose the party they are most comfortable with.  It’s nothing new in SBOE races, and this year was subject to the double-curse where being a Democrat in Texas was on par with having three heads and a Communist party membership card.

Now we have a GOP trifecta controlling Texas politics (Governor,  House and Senate) and redistricting is right around the corner.  All 15 SBOE seats will be up for election in 2012, and something tells me that the lines aren’t going to be drawn in a more friendly manner the next time around.  I don’t mean to say that a GOP SBOE member can’t be a sensible defender of evidence-based science education, but when the most extreme elements of a party become its most powerful ones, the calculated moderate is the first casualty.  Any additional anti-science energy directed at Washington (ahem, climate science hearings, anyone?) will certainly make the problem worse here at home.  So you’ll pardon me if I don’t do cartwheels for the immediate outlook for science in Texas schools.

It’s going to be a long battle in the next couple of years to ensure that qualified educators and science supporters continue to have a place on the board, that the opinions and recommendations of scientists actually make it into education standards (shocking concept, no?) and maybe even that being a Democrat in Texas becomes something less than a diagnosis of political leprosy.  It’s your kids’ future . . . just once try to put the right people in charge of it.

Texas Freedom Network has their take here.