Determined creationist, dentist and recently defeated Board of Education member Don McLeroy still has time left on his term and seems anxious to move forward his agenda of adding God and religion to the state's public school curricula. The Board is meeting again to consider the Social Studies standards and McLeroy has a few doozies he wants to add, including a not-so-subtle dig at the separation of church and state. Houston Chronicle columnist Lisa Falkenberg is not amused:
In much the same way as he handled revisions to the reading and science standards, McLeroy has waited until the large crowds and TV cameras have dispersed to offer some of his most shocking submissions. The board meets Wednesday and is expected to take a preliminary vote on the standards Thursday, with the final vote Friday.
…
[H]e continues to attack constitutional religious freedom protections with a proposed change to an eighth-grade standard. It leadingly asks students to “contrast” the founders' intent relative to wording of the First Amendment's Establishment Clause and Free Exercise Clause with the “popular term” separation of church and state.
[UPDATE: Meanwhile, California legislators are trying to ensure that changes approved in Texas won't move West.]
