By Worried DPS Parent

August 28, 2008 7:53 AM | Link to this

Teachers just need to be able to get on with teaching and pupils with learning the lessons instead of whining about them. What next? Someone refusing or complaining about Spanish class because they were brought up in a white supremist household where only English was spoken? I guess as a Brit, where religion is not such a hot button topic and High Schools have Religious Studies classes in the curriculum, I just don’t “get” it…

By School Supporter

August 26, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this

Rich writes, “What other job allows an employee to enjoy a similar free hand?” Answer: university professor. If you have doubts, try to find an institution accredited through the National Science Teacher Association that equips new science teachers with the knowledge they need to teach good science while respecting religious beliefs and encouraging students (even evolution non-believers) to pursue careers in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math). For that matter, identify any professional development for science teachers that effectively achieves those results. Instead of pointing out the teacher’s responsibility to the district, let’s focus on the district’s responsibility to students and their teachers—without forgeting the taxpayers.

By Happy Homeschooler

August 25, 2008 8:04 PM | Link to this

I had a science teacher at Patterson Career Center pull me up in front of the class and try to humiliate me because I answered questions on a biology quiz with both the theory of evolution and the theory of creation. Personally, I believe in creationism, but was perfectly willing to listen to the arguments for evolution. She wasn’t happy with that and preferred to embarrass a 15 year old. I suppose that wasn’t the best way for that teacher to handle that tricky territory, eh? :-) Teachers should be able to teach what they believe while respecting the religious beliefs of the students in the class.

By Mary

August 25, 2008 3:14 PM | Link to this

This topic really has legs - pun intended. I have seen a lot of debate and summaries over the years trying to explain all the positions on how to teach or not teach evolution and whether teaching the scientific studies on evolution interfere or do not interfere with religious beliefs. The “religious” disagree with each other on the topic. With all the noise in the system, nobody seems to be learning science or anything else anyway. I think Bill Maher (controversial comedian and talk show host) is taking up the topic in his new documentary “Religulous” coming out in about two weeks. Maybe we can at least laugh about the topic - at least some of us will.

By TB

August 25, 2008 10:41 AM | Link to this

I am a former science teacher who had to go through this. I prefaced the unit by mentioning that although you may not agree with this philsophy, this is another theory. We reviewed the definition of theory and I reminded my students that in class they are scientists and scientists had to remain objective. Each class held a debate where they were free to express their beliefs….as long as they had specific documentation to back it up. Overall, it was a challenging unit, but as in everyday life, you have to have some knowledge and understanding of both sides of the fence.

By lou

August 25, 2008 10:28 AM | Link to this

I teach science. What I do is teach evolution using facts only. I use the Discovery channel DVD called walking with the caveman to start. I never tell them their religon is wrong. I allow the students to have many discussions. I like that the students are passionate and go home a research and come back with new facts. A real learning moment.

By Rich

August 25, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this

I’m married to an elementary school teacher with similar reservations about teaching evolution, in part (but not totally) because she thinks this topic belongs at the high school level or higher. Not surprisingly, this has spawned vigorous debates around our house, since I’ve never understood how anyone claiming to be a scientist or a science teacher can refuse to acknowledge the basic tenets upon which modern biological science is based — Darwinian evolution, natural selection and all that these entail. Beyond that, a school is in part simply another place of employment, and employers have certain rights to demand specific performance from employees. Implicit in this for schools is selection of courses of study, textbooks and the like. If a teacher simply can’t follow his or her employer’s directives, then the clear option is to QUIT, not to do a half-baked job or refuse to do it at all, while asserting some right of religious or intellectual freedom. What other job allows an employee to enjoy a similar free hand? The answer is NONE. To take this argument to what might seem a ridiculous extreme, would it be acceptable for an evolution-doubting teacher to take students on a public school-sponsored field trip to the “Creation Museum” in Northern Kentucky, as a straight learning experience to instruct students about the validity of creation? I don’t think so. Nothing wrong with intellectual curiosity, inquiry, etc. — after all, true science expects and invites scrutiny, testing and revision. To put the shoe on the other foot, would any creation-believing private school allow a teacher espousing evolution the freedom to do so exclusively? No. Why not? Because the employer has the right and power to control such matters — and rightly so. (Of course, they’d never have hired such a person in the first place — and would promptly fire him/her for “cause”.)

By Oldprof

August 25, 2008 8:05 AM | Link to this

I don’t have to deal with evolution in my courses—but there are other fundamentalist-Christian theories that I do need to address, in particular their idea that if your faith in God is sufficient, all you need do is open your mouth and God will make the right words come out. I have found that citing scripture helps—always try to use a source that students will accept—in my case, it’s Exodus, where Moses tells God that he is slow of speech and God agrees and tells him to take Aaron along as a spokesman. Seems to work.

By School Supporter

August 25, 2008 7:51 AM | Link to this

If belief in special creation deters Bible-believeing Christians from opening fire on Unitarian congregations, isn’t that a good thing? Now, what’s keeping Cornell graduates from using public schools to indoctrinate students in the anti-religious myths promoted by (long) past Cornell president Andrew Dickson White in “History of the Warfare of Science with Theology?” Teachers face a hostile audience because Ivy League faculty picked a fight. Today, Ivy League faculty wannabes unite to oppose citizens who oppose indoctrination in public schools, so there’s little chance of professional development for teachers who seek to treat students’ beliefs with respect. When’s the last time we saw a story about university faculty working with youth ministers to promote science education? Instead, faculty work to pit the religious left and secular left against the religious right.