ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers
Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions.
*****************************************************************************

Wayne and Joe,

It heartens me to read in the NSTA e-posting the following.  Never should we
confuse or subvert our mission as places that teach science.  But to link
Jonah¹s threat to this one we need to ask ³how good is our house keeping² on
the funding/sponsorships side.

Sara



President Bush Ignites Firestorm With Comments About Intelligent Design

President Bush ignited a media firestorm last week when he voiced his
support for ³Intelligent Design.² When asked by reporters whether he
believed both evolution and intelligent design should be taught in schools,
Bush replied that he did ³so that people can understand what the debate is
about.² The response from the scientific and education communities was
immediate and fierce. Statements by NSTA, the American Physical Society
(APS), American Geophysical Union (AGU), American Federation of Teachers
(AFT), Americans United for the Separation of Church and State (AU),
American Institute of Biological Sciences (AIBS), and others helped to shape
the controversy for millions nationwide. A statement was also issued by the
National Congress on Science Education (NCSE), which is comprised of
representatives from NSTA Chapters and Associated Groups.

In a statement released on August 3, NSTA indicated that it was ³stunned and
disappointed² that President Bush is endorsing intelligent
design‹effectively opening the door for nonscientific ideas to be taught in
the nation¹s K-12 science classrooms.

"It is simply not fair to present pseudoscience to students in the science
classroom," said NSTA President Mike Padilla. "Nonscientific viewpoints have
little value in increasing students' knowledge of the natural world."


Sara DeAngelis
Project Manager/Lead Exhibit Developer
Brooklyn Children¹s Museum
145 Brooklyn Ave.
Brooklyn, NY 11213

p. 718 735-4400 x149
c. 718 578-8269
e. [log in to unmask]

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

One touch of nature makes the whole world kin.
‹ Wm. Shakespeare

Keep your love of nature, for that is the true way to understand art and
more.
‹ Vincent Van Gogh


***********************************************************************
More information about the Informal Science Education Network and the
Association of Science-Technology Centers may be found at http://www.astc.org.
To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the
message  SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to
[log in to unmask]