The Final Showdown, part 3: Earth/Space Science

Now that the worst of the amendments have been taken out of biology and replaced with compromises, the Board turns to the other contentious one: Earth/Space Science, which contains one TEKS with fuzzy language about "differing theories about the origin of the universe," and another that calls for teaching on the insufficiency of common descent to explain the fossil record. Hidden in this apparently arcane argument is a most peculiar development...

Bob Craig (R-Lubbock, but NOT The Faction) tries the same motion he tried yesterday replacing "How earth-based and space-based observations reveal differing theories about the structure scale, composition, origin, and history of the universe." He wants "How ...reveal information about the structure, scale, etc." Main argument: it's poor illogical English, for observations don't "reveal" theories, they reveal information.

Yesterday, that motion failed 6 to 8, because Mary Helen Berlanga was not available (her husband's in the ICU). Today, it fails 7 to 8, with Mary Helen providing the extra vote via teleconference.

Then, the BIG SHOCKER! Cynthia Dunbar (R-The Faction, Richmond) breaks ranks with The Faction to propose a compromise on the fossil record, ditching language about "insufficiency of universal common descent." Instead, she proposes "Analyze and evaluate a variety of fossil types such as transitional fossils, proposed transitional fossils, fossil lineages, and significant fossil deposits with regard to their appearance, completeness, and alignments with scientific explanations in light of this fossil data." (Bob Craig offers a grammatical tweak or two, reflected in the quote above.)

Terri Leo, the heart and soul of The Faction, is shocked at this betrayal, but tries not to let on. (I'm sure Terri is thinking "Doesn't Cynthia know that we punish those who break ranks by making sure they lose their primaries to well-financed opponents?" In fact, this practice has something to do with why Dunbar has a seat. And why Cargill and Mercer do too, for that matter...) She speaks out against leaving out the connection to "universal common descent." But with Cynthia Dunbar swinging the other way, this surprise compromise prevails 9 to 6, with a slightly smaller Faction voting no.

FINAL VOTE ON ENTIRE DOCUMENT AS AMENDED: 13 to 2 with Nunez and Berlanga voting no.

And with that, it's over after only four plus hours (with a few ten-minute breaks thrown in), and the Board moves on to other matters, like Career and Technical Education courses and whether athletics teams should be able to count as graduation credits.