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For those following this thread, I have included some correspondence below about the matter:
"Answers in Genesis has been exhibiting at the NEA convention for quite a
while now, I'm afraid. Other creationist groups, such as the Creation
Educators Caucus, have been known to exhibit there as well, as have other
groups associated with the religious right.
The two important things to keep in mind here, I think, are (1) that NEA
isn't necessarily endorsing the views of exhibitors at its convention,
which is probably understood by the vast majority of people attending, and
(2) that the relationship between NEA and its exhibitors is essentially a
business relationship, governed by contract and business law.
The exhibitor application/contract can be found on-line here:
http://www.neaexpo.com/app_form.pdf
What's of most relevance is the general purpose statement: "THE NEA EXPO
IS TO SUPPORT DELEGATES IN THEIR ROLES AS ASSOCIATION LEADERS. The Expo is
designed to allow the following to be displayed: educational products and
services directly related to classroom instruction and consumer items and
general information about significant social issues that are in accordance
with NEA policy."
Also relevant are the restrictions:
>Management reserves the right to deny applications, as set forth in the
>GENERAL PURPOSE STATEMENT, on the basis of proposed exhibit
>content. Applicants must adhere to NEA policies and regulations on
>non-discrimination. Applications may be denied based on the
>following: (a) The applicant refuses to submit sample materials to be
>used at the booth for management review; (b) The applicant's materials are
>deemed to be obscene, distracting and/or not in keeping with NEA
>standards; (c) The applicant's exhibit may interfere with other
>applicant's use of exhibit space or of the Expo; (d) The applicant's booth
>activities may disrupt and/or interfere with the transaction of business;
>(e) The applicant has been barred from the Expo for past actions or
>practices. With the exception of NEA Affiliates, NEA caucuses, or
>candidates running for NEA office, the NEA logo or name may not be used
>without the express written approval of NEA; nor, with the exceptions
>noted above, will any exhibitor be permitted to use exhibit booth space
>for the express purpose of changing NEA policy. A violation of these
>rules could result in removal of said exhibit and jeopardize the
>exhibitor's future right to participate. In addition, exhibit management
>reserves the right to restrict or remove exhibits which, because of noise,
>method of operation, materials, or other infractions of rules and
>regulations, become objectionable. Any item, printed matter, photographic
>or digital media in any format, persons or conduct considered by
>management to be offensive may be restricted or removed. Exhibit
>management may also restrict or remove any exhibit which, in the opinion
>of management, may detract or otherwise disrupt the general proceedings of
>the Expo.
As far as I can tell, NEA doesn't have a specific policy on teaching
creationism. But a policy statement adopted in 2005 and reaffirmed in 2006
on science education reads:
>The National Education Association believes that the content in science
>education must be based on empirical evidence derived from the scientific
>method and must include the processes of that method. The Association
>also believes that content and curriculum must be based on the National
>Science Education Standards of the National Research Council (NRC) and/or
>the Benchmarks for Science Literacy of the American Association for the
>Advancement of Science (AAAS). (2005, 2006)
http://www.nea.org/handbook/images/resolutions.pdf (B-46)
which would seem to preclude requiring, and even perhaps allowing, the
teaching of creationism.
So I think that a case can be made that even under the existing contract,
NEA would have been within its rights to refuse AiG's application for a
booth. But it didn't, of course, and I don't think that the language of
the contract and policy is clear and decisive enough to support the claim
that NEA definitely should have refused AiG's application.
For future conventions, it might be possible to lobby NEA to apply the
terms of its present contract more stringently, or to adopt further
resolutions that would make it clear that AiG wasn't welcome to
exhibit. It won't be easy. NEA is a large organization with diverse
constituencies. So it won't be easy to get the ear of the right people for
long enough to make a convincing case. And it won't be easy to convince
them that defending the integrity of evolution education is worth
alienating an appreciable segment of NEA's constituency (in some states, a
quarter of biology teachers are themselves creationists) and appearing to
act like a censor -- rest assured that if AiG's next application is refused
by the NEA, it will promptly launch a campaign of complaint and
vilification against the NEA. Candidly, I'm not sure how we'd go about
lobbying NEA, although I'll certainly keep the possibility in mind should a
good opportunity arise.
Colin Purrington notes in a comment on your blog that NEA in fact has a
resolution on teaching creationism, dating back to 1994. I should have
remembered this, since a copy is posted on the NCSE website:
http://www.ncseweb.org/resources/articles/3120_statements_from_educational_or_1_30_2001.asp#nea
- Glenn Branch, NCSE"
"Hello everyone - I called the NEA person who deals with their conventions.
She knows nothing about this situation and could find nothing in their list
of exhibitors under AiG, creation, evolution science...ect. What name could
they be using? It's hard to protest when they/we can't find them on the
list. AiG's stupid website gives no clue - typical of this perverted branch
of "Christianity". They love to sneak around. Ken Whiton"
"To heck with the 25% of biology teachers in "some" states who are creationists. If the NEA already got the one policy passed, that should be enough. AiG is almost certainly in violation of said policy. - Kim"
"I went and read the blog; it's very clear to me that their purpose to is to win people to the Lord. That's just not what a teacher conference is about. I would have the same objection to ANY other religion doing this at such a conference.
Steve Brügge
Science Teacher & Webmaster, Eisenhower Middle School
http://www.aps.edu/aps/eisenhower/brugge/brugge.html"
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