TEA Was Wrong To Force Out Science Director

Last week, the Texas Education Agency (TEA) forced it's science director, Chris Comer, to resign. What was her great crime? She gave the appearance of opposing the teaching of "intelligent design".

That sounds to me like a reason to give her a raise, not force her resignation. A science director should see to it that only science is taught in science classes. If she opposed the teaching of religion in science classes, then she was just doing her job.

And don't try to tell me that "intelligent design" is science, because it's not. It has never been anything but a rather lame attempt to sneak religion into our science classes. Religious myths should be taught in religion classes. They have no place in a science class.

The TEA wouldn't say why they had forced Comer out, but the Austin American-Statesman used the Texas Public Information Act to obtain documents exposing their reason. The documents said, "Ms. Comer's e-mail implies endorsement of the speaker (Barbara Forrest, author of Inside Creationism's Trojan Horse) and implies that TEA endorses the speaker's position on a subject on which the agency must remain neutral."

This brings up the question of why must the TEA remain neutral on whether religion should be taught in a science class? If they really think they must remain neutral on that question, then it is the leadership of the TEA that should be forced to resign. Their "neutrality" puts the teaching of science in danger in Texas public schools. How could they possibly be neutral on the teaching of myth as science?

And just how far does this "neutrality" extend? Are they also neutral on the theory that the world was created by the Flying Spaghetti Monster? There is just as much evidence that FSM created the world as the christian "intelligent designer". If religion is to be taught as science, then FSM creation theory should also be taught (along with dozens of other religious myths).

This whole thing is ridiculous. Ms. Comer should not have been forced to resign, but the leadership of the TEA should be terminated. They have failed the citizens of Texas.