NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch was featured in "Will Restrictions on Teaching 'Controversial' Issues Target Science Classes?" which appeared in Education Week (February 15, 2023).
"In their efforts to regulate how teachers can discuss issues of politics and identity in the classroom, Republican state legislators have so far focused mainly on social studies and history instruction. Now, a few lawmakers are eyeing science," the article began, citing the text of Texas's House Bill 1804, which addresses science as well as social studies and history, and comments from the sponsor of Oklahoma's Senate Bill 140.
In addition to discussing the various rhetorical strategies used in antievolution legislation, Branch observed that there are incentives for legislators not to be candid about them. "Laws and policies like this have uniformly been declared to be unconstitutional, because there's always been a detectable religious motive," he commented. "If you want to get a bill like that over, it’s not in your interest to admit that's the motivation."
Also featured in the article were the Binghamton University historian Adam Laats — a recent recipient of NCSE's Friend of Darwin award — and Erika Shugart, executive director of the National Science Teaching Association.
