Should Public Schools Promote Godly Character?

How Christian Were the Founders?

Was Jesus one of America's Founding Fathers? If you care about what your children are taught about science and history in Texas public schools, then you'll want to pay attention this election year not only to the governor's race but to some obscure races down the ballot for the State Board of Education (SBOE). According to Unfair Park:

"This could be the election that decides exactly how much power religious ideologues hold over the board that shapes the education for 5 million public school students in Texas."

Last year, the seven members of the religious-right faction on the SBOE successfully steered the science standards to include wording that undermines evolution. This year, the SBOE is tackling social studies, seeking to include language that revises American history to promote Christianity. For the fundamentalists, takeover of education is but a step towards a larger goal, takeover of government. In an article this week, The New York Times explains the fundamentalists' strategy:

"As Cynthia Dunbar, another Christian activist on the Texas board, put it, 'The philosophy of the classroom in one generation will be the philosophy of the government in the next.'"

After the jump, what the SBOE candidates themselves had to say at a League of Women Voters forum in Richardson Wednesday evening.

Spending Millions on "Sprinkled, Iced-Turds"

It's Monday night and you know what that means: open mike night at the Richardson City Council meeting. This week's meeting had only one visitor taking the opportunity to address the council. Andrew Laska, president of the Richardson Heights neighborhood association, voiced his support for the list of projects in the proposed 2010 bond package, projects that will benefit his neighborhood, including a new Heights recreation center and aquatics center. (By the way, why don't people call swimming pools swimming pools anymore?)

After the jump, a losing council candidate's opinion of rec centers and swimming pools.

I'd Cancel My Season Ticket, If I Had One

Remember the old joke: I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out? It was never funny, but it was useful in highlighting how commonly accepted fighting is in professional hockey in America. Wikipedia even has an entry for "Fighting in ice hockey" that starts with a clarification: "This article is about condoned fighting in ice hockey. For disallowed violent acts, see 'Violence in ice hockey.'"

After the jump, a north Texas hockey player opens up about fighting.

Richardson, Gateway to Plano

Mention Richardson to almost anybody and what image pops into their head? Maybe nothing. Some, even residents who love Richardson, might snicker and say the Como Motel or the Continental Inn on US 75. That reaction alone might be reason for me to support efforts to erect a landmark entrance sign at the Richardson border on US 75, the highway that thousands of commuters use to travel through Richardson every day. Don't underestimate the symbolic power and marketing benefits of a striking landmark.

After the jump, what Richardson needs to think about.

Ruth Denning Tiedeman

Ruth D. Tiedeman 1923 - 2010

More photos

OTBR: First Jaunt on the New Xmas Snowshoes

Latitude: 44.351700° N
Longitude: 71.729896° W

A child on a road trip with his family asks, "Where are we?" and the father answers, "Let's check the map. We're off the blue roads [the Interstate Highways marked in blue on the road atlas]. We're off the red roads [the US and state highways]. We're off the black roads [the county highways]. I think we're off the map altogether." It was always my dream to be off the map altogether.

After the jump, a few of the random places (and I mean random literally) that I visited vicariously last month that are "off the blue roads".

The Latest Stupidest Depression in History

Lord d'Abernon

Ron Paul (R-TX) has a bestseller, "End the Fed," in which he calls for a return to the gold standard as the surest prevention of inflation. Although he hasn't won many converts among economists, he has sold a lot of books. Besides Paul, the Fed has picked up enough critics among politicians that Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke recently won confirmation for a new term by the slimmest vote margin in history.

After the jump, a different, more accurate criticism of the Fed.

My Dialog with George Clayton

George Clayton

This week, The Dallas Morning News recommended Geraldine "Tincy" Miller for the GOP nomination for District 12 of the State Board of Education. I unenthusiastically went along. I wasn't enamored of Miller, but saw nothing in her opponent, George Clayton, for me to entrust the post to him. Clayton commented on the DMN's website, which led to a dialog between him and me concerning his position on science education. The upshot is that my doubts about his candidacy only deepened. I had hoped that a qualified, informed candidate who I could trust would put education above ideology would emerge to challenge Miller (like Thomas Ratliff has challenged Don McLeroy in District 9), but George Clayton is *not* that candidate. Miller may not be my ideal candidate, but George Clayton would be much worse.

After the jump, the transcript of my dialog with George Clayton.

Real Heroes or Real Suspicious

"We can't all be heroes because somebody has to sit on the curb and clap as they go by." -- Will Rogers

The Richardson Coalition PAC has announced the creation of what it calls its annual Real Heroes Award. The award will recognize "unsung heroes" whose service to the Richardson community is often overlooked. You know, the volunteers who work with youth groups, social services, health care providers, etc. Why is the Richardson Coalition PAC sponsoring this award? In its words, "The Coalition believes strongly in promoting the positive image of Richardson. This award will be an opportunity for the Richardson community to celebrate our many citizens who give to the community with no expectation of any personal reward."

After the jump, this skeptic's doubts.

State Board of Education Recommendations

The Dallas Morning News has made its recommendations for the State Board of Education (SBOE) District 9 and 12 races in the GOP primary. The SBOE is an elected 15 member board responsible for setting curriculum standards for Texas public schools. The three Rs. 1492 and 1776. Ho hum, right? Not if you care about Texas kids. Unless you've spent the last decade living on Pluto (not a planet anymore, by the way), you know that the SBOE has become the front line in the culture war over evolution, climate change, religion, everything from the Indian Wars to the Indian festival of lights, Diwali. (By the way, the argument over Diwali taught me that there are over 50,000 Hindus in north Texas. I didn't know that. Maybe my education, which didn't include Diwali, was deficient.)

After the jump, why one DMN recommendation is merely OK and the other patently obvious.