There were hundreds of people inside and hundreds lined up to get in to testify against the obscene ALEC-inspired revisions to national science standards. You have til 5pm for formally contact PED with input. But this post also includes links to contact info for PED Commissioners and map of districts.
TIME TO ACT: Contact Info Follows. But contact PED By 5pm Today & Then Contact Your PED Commissioner Regularly. This Can’t Happen
Who Developed the Standards? The Next Generation Science Standards was developed with representatives from 40 science-focused stakeholders including the National Science Teachers Association; the National Research Council; the National Academy of Sciences; American Association for the Advancement of Science and ACHIEVE an independent, nonpartisan, nonprofit education reform organization. In other words, people with a vested interest in excellence in science education.
What Changes are Being Recommended to the Public Education? Removal of all reference to evolution, removal of science-based estimates of age of the earth; and removal of references to man’s contribution to climate change and changing climate warming references from warming to “temperature fluctuations.” These changes are clearly drafted to accommodate the extreme religious right and the oil and gas industries.
Who Made These Recommended Changes? We don’t know because PDED won’t tell us. But the language in the changes bears a striking resemblance to similar changes proposed in other states and the source: ALEC. Yes, because ALEC knows more than the esteemed groups that developed the standards.
Who Opposes the Standards? Well today at least 5-600 educators who showed up to testify against the changes. There were 2-300 people inside the hearing room, another 100 or more in line waiting to get in and 2-300 others who gathered to make public statements to the press. I only stayed for an hour but I heard and speaker after another, all of them with credentials in science instruction, scientific research, and curriculum development articulated. No one testified in favor of the changes.
What Can You Do? Submit written testimony by 5pm today AND/OR email and call your Commissioner every few days. It is absolutely abhorrent that unidentified lobbyists, religious and business interests can over-rule scientists and educators who are eminently qualified to develop instructional standards. NM students will be the one that suffers as they are not being offered to opportunity to wrestle with real science; they will do more poorly than students in other states on college boards, and they will not be as competitive in getting admitted to quality colleges and universities. This just can’t happen.
If you for this post before 5pm, click here to provide official public comment.
But you can also contact you Commissioner and register your input with him/her. Click here to find a map of the ten PED Districts and contact information for all ten commissioners.
In solidarity
Paul & Roxanne
Categories: Actions, Child, Youth & Families, Climate Change, Agriculture, Land Use and Wildlife
How foolish can a decision be? These absurd and questionably motivated “science standards” will bite the hand of the Labs that feed New Mexico.
Hi, It isn’t clear from the link, what to do exactly to write a public comment. Can you give more guidance? thanks!
On Mon, Oct 16, 2017 at 2:06 PM, Retake Our Democracy wrote:
> paulgibson51 posted: “There were hundreds of people inside and hundreds > lined up to get in to testify against the obscene ALEC-inspired revisions > to national science standards. You have til 5pm for formally contact PED > with input. But this post also includes links to contact i” >
If you go to the site (link) just tell the PED that you oppose their revision of the National standards and the elimination of references to climate change, evolution, and man’s contribution to global warming. Hope that helps.
Paul