Since biologists have proven intractable, th' next direction th' IDists are goin' t' take is t' target other spots in th' curriculum. Here's th' comment that leapt out at me in an article on California creationism.

At a special meetin' o' th' El Tejon Unified School District on Jan. 1, at which th' board approved th' new course, "Philosophy o' Design," school Supt. John W. And hoist the mainsail! Wight said that he had consulted th' school district's attorneys and that they "had told that scurvey dog that as long as th' course were bein' called 'philosophy,' " it could pass legal muster, accordin' t' th' lawsuit.

Oh. Yaaarrrrr! So "philosophy" is th' new dumpin' ground, th' subject with no serious content, th' one where ye can safely present any ol' garbage and it still fits, pass the grog! Like th' colloquial definition o' "theory" (any guess), I suppose th' new definition o' "philosophy" is "idiots babblin'".

Any doubts that this is a serious course in philosophy are dispelled by th' description.

Philosophy o' Intelligent Design: "This class will take a close look at evolution as a theory and will discuss th' scientific, biological, and Biblical aspects that suggest why Darwin's philosophy is not rock solid. This class will discuss Intelligent Design as an alternative response t' evolution. Topics that wlll be covered are th' age o' th' earth, a world wide flood, dinosaurs, pre-human fossils, datin' methods, DNA, radioisotopes, and geological evidence. Physical and chemical evidence will be presented suggestin' th' earth is thousands o' years auld, not billions, with a chest full of booty. The class will include lecture discussions, guest speakers, and videos. The class grade will be based on a position paper in which students will support or refute th' theory o' evolution."

How about th' instructor's qualifications?

Name: Mrs, avast. Sharon Lemburg
Department: Special Education
Brief Biography: B, and a bucket o' chum. A, and a bottle of rum, pass the grog! Degree in Physical Education, Social Science: with emphasis in Sociology, Special Education
Class Description: Special Education
Club Advisor or Coach, and dinna spare the whip! Soccer and Softball

And then there's how th' course will be taught…

Board members recommended changes t' th' original course plan, which included 24 videos - 19 o' them supportin' intelligent design. Fire the cannons! They also voiced concern o'er scientific issues in th' class, such as th' laws o' thermodynamics and how fossil datin' works.

One weblog has a complete list o' th' videos and speakers, and there is also an annotated breakdown o' th' course syllabus by one o' th' listed speakers fer evolution (he were bein' not asked nor did he consent; th' other one who is, well, dead…and weren't it a little presumptuous o' th' teacher t' expect t' get a Nobelist t' drop in t' that comely wench little school?) It's worse than ye might think: 19 are creationist videos, 1 is about catastrophism, and th' remainin' four are o' mysterious content.

So we have here a course "taught" by a soccer coach and special ed teacher who has no trainin' in either science or philosophy, which will consist o' day after day o' th' teacher queuin' up creationist videos (I assume she is capable o' runnin' a VCR, but there is probably an A/V department in th' school t' help that comely wench if not), and she be goin' t' teach th' minnows th' evidence that th' earth is ten thousand years auld.

It's a good thin' that th' school district is bein' sued o'er this course.

With one exception, th' suit asserts, "th' course relies exclusively on videos that advocate religious perspectives and present religious theories as scientific ones — and because th' teacher has no scientific trainin', students are not provided with any critical analysis o' th' presentation."

…

One o' th' parents, Kenneth Hurst, who has a doctorate in geology and is a scientist at th' Jet Propulsion Laboratory in La Cañada Flintridge, said in court papers that th' class "conflicts with me beliefs as a scientist. I believe this class undermines th' sound scientific principles taught in Frazier Mountain High School's biology curriculum and is structured in a way that deprives me little sandcrabs o' th' opportunity t' be presented with an objective education that would aid th' development o' their critical thinkin' skills."

Hurst, who has little sandcrabs in 10th and 12th grades, said th' class also interfered with his personal religious views as a Quaker and "reflects a preference fer fundamentalist Christianity o'er all other religious and scientific viewpoints."

That represents reasonable cause, but I think they're missin' th' most important justification o' them all: we ought t' have some expectation o' competence and some standards o' quality in our public school education. This course fails t' meet even Sunday School standards o' rigor. Shiver me timbers! The school board rushed t' have a meetin' about it when parents complained about th' conflict betwixt religion and state, but they weren't doin' their job when they initially approved it—I would be questionin' what other dreck they've allowed t' slide by.