Repealing the Louisiana Science Education Act

Since 2008, the Louisiana Science Education Act Has Been the Subject of National and International Criticism and Ridicule

For Immediate Release

Baton Rouge, LA — (March, 18, 2013) — Senator Karen Carter Peterson (D-New Orleans) recently filed SB 26 to repeal the Louisiana Science Education Act, Louisiana’s misnamed and misguided creationism law.

Since its passage in 2008, the Louisiana Science Education Act (LSEA) has been the subject of national and international criticism and ridicule, and its repeal has been endorsed an overwhelming consensus of scientists and educators and a broad coalition of religious leaders and clergy. This is Senator Peterson’s third attempt at repealing the act.

Previous hearings about the Louisiana Science Education Act were the focus of intense national interest.  Videos of the meetings have collectively received more than 680,000 views on YouTube and were covered by national publications including io9 and Slate.  The campaign has been covered both nationally and internationally, including in The Guardian, The Boston Globe, The Huffington Post, The Washington Post, Italian Vogue, MSNBC, and Bill Moyers’s “Moyers and Company.”

Originally conceived as the Louisiana Academic Freedom Act, the LSEA is based on a model statute developed by the Discovery Institute, a Seattle-based think tank that lobbies for legislation promoting creationism in the classroom.

State Senator Ben Nevers, the bill’s original sponsor, explained that he filed the bill at the behest of the Louisiana Family Forum. “They (the Louisiana Family Forum) believe that scientific data related to creationism should be discussed when dealing with Darwin’s theory,” Senator Nevers said.

Nobel laureate chemist Sir Harry Kroto said, “The present situation (the LSEA) should be likened to requiring Louisiana school texts to include the claim that the sun goes round the Earth.”

Three years ago, Sir Harry Kroto was the first Nobel laureate to publicly endorse the act’s repeal. Today, the repeal campaign is endorsed by 78 Nobel laureate scientists, nearly 40% of living Nobel laureate scientists, and numerous other prominent scientists.  It has also been endorsed by the American Association for the Advancement of Science and other major science and educator organizations in Louisiana and the United States.

In addition, thousands of clergy members, who are part of the Clergy Letter Project, have joined the repeal campaign. Reverend Welton Gaddy, President of the Interfaith Alliance, said, “(The repeal effort) represents the best thinking in American science, the best thinking in American religion, and it also reflects the United States Constitution.”

Over 70,000 people from Louisiana and around the country have signed a Change.org petition and other petitions in support of this repeal.

The conservative Thomas Fordham Institute stated the Louisiana Science Education Act creates “anti-evolution pressures (that) continue to threaten state science standards.” In its evaluation of Louisiana’s education system, the Thomas Fordham Institute called the LSEA a “devastating flaw.”

Zack Kopplin, the student who began the campaign against the law said:

“America needs a scientific revolution; a Second Giant Leap for Humankind.  Fighting for a repeal of Louisiana’s creationism law is ground zero of this revolution.

“We need a grassroots movement of students who stand up and demand their public officials to support evidence-based science.”

Supporters of the repeal believe they will see a breakthrough this year because Louisiana’s public officials are becoming increasingly pro-science.  This spring, the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology lifted a boycott of New Orleans (a boycott still remains on the rest of Louisiana), which had begun after the passage of the Louisiana Science Education Act.  The boycott was lifted after the New Orleans City Council voted unanimously to support the repeal of Louisiana’s creationism law, and the Orleans Parish School Board banned creationism from their classrooms in reaction to the passage of this law.

The bill to repeal the Louisiana Science Education Act in 2012 was defeated in committee, by a vote of 2-1.

“We believe that this spring we can muster the votes we need to pass,” Kopplin said.

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Stop Governor Jindal’s Creationist Voucher Program Before Governor Romney Takes it Nationwide

Update: Superintendent White removed Eternity Christian Academy from this list, but the other 20 remain.  Eternity was not removed for curriculum issues, so it may be returned to the program while keeping a creationist curriculum.  Holy Savior Menard Central High School in Alexandria has joined the list.

According to the Associated Press, there are 750 creationist voucher slots which are worth more than 4 million dollars approved for this year.

These numbers will grow as the voucher program continues, and will easily be able to reach the numbers I’ve posted below.  The numbers below represent the number of voucher slots originally requested by the creationist schools, and the maximum amount of voucher money that the state allows. 

Also note, the numbers below would be the final numbers if not for the public outcry over how backwards this voucher program is.  We need to keep pushing on the Governor and the Superintendent to remove the remainder of the creationist schools.

Louisiana is preparing to spend over $11 million to send 1,365 students to 20 private schools that teach creationism instead of science as part of Governor Bobby Jindal’s new voucher program.  It is time to halt the implementation of this creationist voucher program.

It is increasingly clear that one of Governor Jindal’s primary education goals is the teaching of creationism.  He supported, signed, and defended the Louisiana Science Education Act (LSEA), Louisiana’s 2008 stealth creationism law, which allows teachers to sneak creationism into public school science classrooms by using creationist supplemental materials.  Despite hearing from 78 Nobel laureate scientists who urged him to repeal the law because teaching creationism is both bad science and unconstitutional, Jindal instead defended the law.

Now Governor Jindal has passed a voucher plan which provides millions of taxpayer dollars to private schools that teach creationism and whose curriculum doesn’t meet the state’s approved science standards.

My review of the Governor’s voucher program identifies at least 20 schools who use a creationist curriculum or blatantly promote creationism on their websites.  These 20 schools have been awarded 1,365 voucher slots and can receive as much as $11,602,500 in taxpayer money annually.

• The handbook of the Claiborne Christian School, in West Monroe, LA, says that students are taught to “discern and refute lies commonly found in [secular] textbooks, college classrooms, and in the media.” In the January 2010 school newsletter, the principal promotes young-earth creationist talking points from Answers in Genesis, saying, “Our position at CCS on the age of the Earth and other issues is that any theory that goes against God’s Word is in error.” She also claims that scientists are “sinful men” trying to explain the world “without God” so they don’t have to be “morally accountable to Him.” CCS has 28 voucher slots and can receive up to $238,000 in public money.

• The student handbook of Faith Academy, in Gonzalez, LA, says that as a Household of Faith school, students must “defend creationism through evidence presented by the Bible verses [sic] traditional scientific theory.” FA has 38 voucher slots and can receive up to $323,000 in public money.

• Ascension Christian High School, in Gonzales, also a Household of Faith school is Faith Academy’s high school campus. It has 80 voucher slots and can receive up to $680,000 in public money.

• Northeast Baptist School, in West Monroe, uses ABeka and Bob Jones University science textbooks.  Researcher and writer Rachel Tabachnick, who examined these textbooks, reports that it is “clear that no instruction is included in the text that would conflict with young earth creationism.”  Using such books endangers the educational prospects of students in Christian schools. In 2010, the University of California won a federal lawsuit, ASCI [Association of Christian Schools International] v. Stearns, in which the judge ruled in favor of UC’s right to refuse to recognize high school credits for science classes taken in Christian schools that used such books. UC contended that such instruction is “inconsistent with the viewpoints and knowledge generally accepted in the scientific community.” NBS has 40 voucher slots and can receive up to $340,000 in public money.

• Northlake Christian Elementary School, in Covington, LA, teaches science using both ASCI’s “Purposeful Design Series” and ABeka materials.  One Purposeful Design science notebook requires students to “discuss your thoughts about how the complexity of a cell shows that it must be purposefully designed.” NCES, which specifies that “all curricular content is filtered through and presented within a Christian worldview,” has 20 voucher slots and can receive up to $170,000 in public money.

• Northlake Christian High School in Covington uses a secular science textbook but also “integrate[s]” material from “biblical-young-earth, Christian/Creationists,” according to Northlake’s high school biology teacher. He uses sources from Creation Ministries International, Answers in Genesis, and the Institute for Creation Research. This teacher also quotes a creationist book that says, “No coherent, cohesive theology has yet been offered that would allow Christians to embrace evolution with integrity.”  Disturbingly, NCHS’s student handbook includes a discrimination policy against prospective students and staff who do not meet “Biblical standards.” NCHS has 30 voucher slots and can receive up to $255,000 in public money.

• New Living Word School, operated by New Living Word Ministries in Ruston, LA, teaches its students with “an instructional DVD that intersperses Biblical verses with subjects such [as] chemistry.”  The school probably uses ABeka materials.  According to the website, the church created a program for suspended and expelled Lincoln Parish public school students using “the A-Beka Christian Academy Homeschooling  Program.” On top of all of this, the NLW School doesn’t even have the facilities to accommodate voucher students.  Nonetheless, it has 315 voucher slots and can receive up to $2,677,500 in public money.

• Gethsemane Christian Academy, in Lafayette, LA, doesn’t appear to have a website, but the National Center for Education Statistics notes that it uses the infamous ACE Curriculum.  Curriculum publisher ACE Ministries is guided by “God’s Mandate for Christian Education,” in which evolutionary theory is described as “extremely damaging to children individually and to society as a whole” because it “denies the principle of the individual’s accountability” to God.  GCA has 100 voucher slots and can receive up to $850,000 in public money.

• Declared Ineligible: Eternity Christian Academy in Westlake, LA, uses the ACE (Accelerated Christian Education) curriculum.  ECA has 135 voucher slots and can receive up to $1,147,500 in public money.

• The Upperroom Bible Church Academy, in New Orleans, says their “curriculum is dependent upon a biblical philosophy” and according to the National Center for Education Statistics they use the ACE curriculum. They also claim to blatantly attempt to convert their students, saying “we endeavor to win all unsaved students to Jesus Christ.”  On top of this, the large numbers of bad reviews from parents seem to suggest the school cares about money much more than the students.  The Upperroom Bible Church Academy has 167 voucher slots and can receive up to $1,419,500 in public money annually.

• Jehovah-Jireh Christian Academy, in Baton Rouge uses both the ASCI Purposeful Design and ABeka curricula in science classes.  JJA has 30 voucher slots and can receive up to $255,000 in public money.

• New Orleans Adventist Academy teaches a creationist curriculum, according to the New Orleans newspaper, Gambit. A science curriculum guide from the Southwest Region Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists, to which NOAA belongs, shows that Adventist schools teach children that “God, in six literal days, made the heavens and the earth.” The guide contains references both to young-earth and intelligent design creationist sources. NOAA has 100 voucher slots and can receive up to $850,000 in public money.

• Greater Mt. Olive Christian Academy, in Baton Rouge, uses the ABeka curriculum.  GMOCA has 50 voucher slots and can receive up to $425,000 in public money.

• Faith Christian Academy, in Marrero, LA, uses the ABeka textbooks. FCA has 38 voucher slots and can receive up to $323,000 in public money.

• Victory Christian Academy, in Metairie, LA, uses ABeka and Bob Jones curricula. Its philosophy of science education is “to develop students in principles of science. . . teaching them to observe relationships and laws as established by God’s creative hand” and that “any teaching of man that is contrary to the clear understanding of scripture is in error.”  VCA has 8 voucher slots and can receive up to $68,000 in public money.

• Lafayette Christian Academy, in Lafayette, LA, uses Bob Jones and ABeka.  Its “primary objective” is to educate students “without compromising the Word of God.” LCA has 4 voucher slots and can receive up to $34,000 in public money.

• Cenla Christian Academy, in Pineville, LA, uses the ABeka and Bob Jones curricula. CCA has 72 voucher slots and can receive up to $612,000 in public money.

• Family Worship Christian Academy, in Opelousas, LA, offers “a stimulating learning environment for our students utilizing A Beka curriculum.” FWCA has 66 voucher slots and can receive up to $561,000 in public money.

• Trinity Christian Academy, in Zachary, LA, explained via e-mail that it uses ABeka to teach high school science.  TCA has been given 35 voucher slots and can receive up to $297,500 in public money.

The schools listed here may be just the tip of the iceberg.  The true number of creationist voucher schools approved to receive unconstitutionally misappropriated taxpayer dollars under Governor Jindal’s voucher program could be significantly higher.  My analysis above lists only those schools that explicitly acknowledge teaching creationism or creationist curriculum.  Many more schools listed as approved by Governor’s voucher program are probably also planning to use creationist textbooks, since many of these are self-identified Christian academies that appear very similar in philosophy to the ones I’ve listed above.

The fact that these schools are teaching creationism isn’t the only problem. BeauVer Christian School in DeRidder can’t even meet the fire code and has been accused of financial improprieties, lawsuits have been filed to stop the implementation of the program, and the creators of the state program have already displayed major ethical lapses in trying to cover up their failure to adequately review schools applying for vouchers.

Governor Jindal claims that he created the voucher program because private schools would offer a better education for Louisiana students.  The truth is that schools that teach creationism will give our students a worse education.  Schools that teach creationism and do not meet Louisiana’s state science standards will not give our students a better education and have no business receiving public funds.

Since the justification for this program has fallen flat, Governor Jindal and the Department of Education should not implement it.

Every voucher school that taxpayers support with public dollars should be required to release its teaching materials for inspection by the public, just as all public schools are required to do.

Governor Jindal must do the right thing for Louisiana students and halt his voucher program’s implementation before any funds are allocated to schools that teach creationism instead of evidence based science.

Governor Jindal has been named Governor Romney’s education surrogate.  That Governor Jindal could be nominated for Vice President by Governor Romney or be his Secretary of Education means that signing this Change.Org petition to halt the unconstitutional and creationist Louisiana voucher program is even more urgent.

Republican Presidential Primary frontrunner Rick Santorum comments on creationism laws

Baton Rouge, LA — (March 27, 2012) – At Senator Santorum’s March 23rd rally in Pineville Louisiana, student activist, Zack Kopplin, had the chance to question the Senator about creationism laws.  Kopplin, who has led the effort to repeal Louisiana’s creationism law, the misnamed and misguided Louisiana Science Education Act, asked Santorum about the Louisiana Science Education Act and Santorum’s proposed amendment to the 2002 No Child Left Behind Act, which served as a model for Louisiana’s law.

The video can be viewed here.

Kopplin asked, “In Louisiana we have a creationism law that’s based off a 2002 creationism amendment you proposed to the No Child Left Behind Act… Can you spend about two seconds explaining why you think this is a good idea?”

Stantorum responded, “states have a right to do what they want with education curriculum.”

First, Santorum didn’t take issue with the nature of Louisiana’s law or his amendment as being “creationist” laws.

Second, Santorum’s attempt to justify teaching creationism as a state’s right is wrong.  There is no justification for teaching unconstitutional non-science in public school science classes.  Students will not get the education they need to succeed and get the science and technology jobs of the 21st century.  Ironically, Santorum’s own legislation would have been a federal mandate.  So while it’s clearly convenient for him to cite state’s rights in favor of Louisiana’s creationism law, the fact that his own amendment would have been a federal mandate undercuts that argument and shows his real priority is the teaching of creationism.

When interviewed about the rally, Kopplin said,

“This defense of teaching creationism seems to be the Republican base’s party line.  When Michele Bachmann was asked about the Louisiana Science Education Act last spring, and her own 2006 effort to pass a creationism law in Minnesota, she gave an equally ill-informed answer about state’s rights.  Governor Perry, last fall, said that creationism was taught in Texas schools.

Governor Romney appears likely to win the Republican Primary and it is important to know what his views on creationism are.  Will he stick to what he said in 2008 and defend the teaching of evolution, or will he shake up the etch-a-sketch and toe the line to the Republican base?”

Thank you to Jason Berry and NOSHA for their help making this video possible.

75 Nobel laureate scientists call for repeal of Louisiana Science Education Act

For Immediate Release

Baton Rouge, LA — (March, 6, 2012) – Senator Karen Carter Peterson (D-New Orleans) has filed Senate Bill 374 to repeal the Louisiana Science Education Act, Louisiana’s misnamed and misguided creationism law.

The repeal effort now has the unprecedented support of 75 Nobel laureate scientists–nearly 40% of all living Nobel laureate scientists in physics, chemistry, or physiology or medicine.  This incredible number surpasses the historic 72 Nobel laureate scientists who filed an amicus brief in opposition to Louisiana’s first creationism law during the Edwards v. Aguillard Supreme Court case.  A complete list of Nobel laureates supporting the repeal effort can be found here.

Nobel laureate chemist and supporter of the repeal effort Sir Harry Kroto says,

“One can only be amazed that [the repeal] has managed to assemble such massive support (75 Nobel laureates) for the effort to ensure that only educational material which is supported by reliable evidence is presented in the science lessons of Louisiana’s schools.”

Earlier this year the conservative Thomas Fordham Institute released a report that said Louisiana’s science standards suffer from a “devastating flaw” because of the Louisiana Science Education Act.

The report said:

“The Louisiana science standards are reasonably challenging and comprehensive, but they suffer from a devastating flaw: Thanks to the state’s 2008 Science Education Act, which promotes creationism instead of science, the standards (especially for biology and life science) are haunted by anti-science influences that threaten biology education in the state.”

“This year the Governor has asked the Louisiana legislature to focus on education,” said Senator Peterson.  “If this Legislative session is truly about improving Louisiana’s education system, then the first place to start is to repeal the Louisiana Science Education Act.“

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Jon Huntsman has said, “I’m not going to pander.”  When it comes to evolution and science, the Republican Presidential candidate from Utah has been straight-up and on the mark.  In August, he said, “To be clear. I believe in evolution… Call me crazy.”  Crazy would be the wrong call.  Call him courageous instead for serving as the lone voice in the Republican Primary wilderness supporting evidence-based science. 

Outside the evolution debate, Huntsman’s courage is in question with his latest move to  boycotting the Nevada debate.  By not showing in Nevada, Hunstman is completely pandering to New Hampshire voters who feel slighted by Nebraska pushing their primary date up and leap-frogging ahead of them in the schedule.  After all, Hunstman is relying on New Hampshire to deliver a win in the Republican Primary.

Without Hunstman at the debate in Nevada on Tuesday, there will be no voice of reason  on teaching evolution in our public schools.  Instead, we’re going to have a group of candidates who will throw science under the bus as they pander to far right extremists or simply mistake fantasy for science.

Tongue tied Mitt Romney supported teaching evolution before the 2008 election, but has been noticeably silent in this campaign.  Instead he’s been flip-flopping on social issues to curry favor with those in the Republican Party that also support teaching creationism.  Don’t look for Romney to be a vocal defender of science on Tuesday.

Confused Congresswoman Bachmann has claimed, “there is a controversy among scientists about whether evolution is a fact… hundreds and hundreds of scientists, many of them holding Nobel prizes, believe in intelligent design.”  When asked, she could not produce any Nobel Laureate Scientists to back up her claims.  She will be the leading voice of insanity at the debate.

Confused Texas Governor Rick Perry believes creationism “should be presented in schools alongside the theories of evolution.”  He doesn’t stop there though; he actually proudly asserts  that inTexas public school science class, students are taught creationism—despite that the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled such teachings unconstitutional.

Rick Santorum doesn’t just have a Google problem, he also has a creationism problem.  He attempted to pass an amendment to No Child Left Behind which would have singled out evolution as a controversial theory.  This tactic served as an early model for Louisiana’s creationism law.

Panderer Gingrich has slithered away from his former “passion” for evolution like a Newt, adopting pandering positions that are as insane the ones Michele Bachmann has had.

Ron Paul may deviate from the standard Republican position when it comes to isolationism, but on evolution, he is in the middle of the pack of panderers.  He claims “[evolution is] a theory… and I don’t accept it.”  What Dr. Paul doesn’t understand is that a scientific theory is a strongly backed up explanation of natural phenomena, not just an untested hunch, as in the everyday use of the word.

As the last man standing for science among the entire field of Republican Presidential candidates, Huntsman could do wonders for students and the science community looking for a leader who understands that the principles of evolution undergird the science of the future.  Perhaps New Hampshire voters will hear this message Tuesday, but the rest of the country certainly will not.  Scientists, strap in; it will be a bumpy ride on a train of thought still stuck in the era of the square wheel.

Since when did Newt Gingrich become Michele Bachmann?  Last I noticed, Gingrich was shorter, heavier, and aspiring to be  the  “intellectual” of the Republican party.  And yet, his latest comments mauling evolution sound eerily Bachmann-esque.

On September 29th, Gingrich