Dateline Sacramento (3/4/2010)
Dateline Sacramento
News with a View from the California Capitol
March 4, 2010
Play-Dough Lessons Teach Embryonic Stem-Cell Research
Last year’s SB 471 has become this year’s lesson plan – complete with ethical discussions drawn from the headline-making “Octomom” Nadia Suleman, and My Sister’s Keeper, a Jodi Picoult novel (and 2009 feature film) about a young girl conceived to save her older sister’s life – and play-dough used to model the development of preborn human life. SB 471, signedinto law by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger last October, required the California Department of Education to collaborate with California’s stem-cell agency and biotech industry to develop model curriculum to integrate stem-cell research into existing frameworks.
Last week, the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM), California’s stem-cell agency created by the passage of Proposition 73 in 2004, unveiled an extensive stem-cell education portal, providing teachers with lesson plans, PowerPoint presentations, video clips, and supplementary materials. Geared for high school students, the site includes four modules – two for usage with biology classes and two for use with more advanced classes. Authors of SB 471 touted the education portal as “ensuring California has a workforce with the educational and technical training needed to fill positions in the stem cell and biotech industries of the state” and “keep[ing] California on the cutting edge of tomorrow’s technology and provid[ing] us with new avenues of economic growth.”
The four units – embryonic stem cells; adult stem cells and regenerative medicine; the microenvironment and cancer; and the immune system – provide a wide variety of lessons and materials that can be adapted for different presentation levels. The site also provides a resource to link teachers with industry professionals who can come into classrooms to help with presentations. Outreach programs from UC Berkeley, Stanford University, and the Scripps Research Institute have already visited various high schools to make presentations.
One lesson plan uses play-dough models to enable students to visualize how stem cells develop from a zygote to a blastocyst. Another plan has student groups read select articles on the ethical debate surrounding embryonic stem-cell research and then present their findings to the class. The adult stem cell unit discusses clinical trials and the 73 diseases that might be cured through stem-cell research, but will the truth – that, while usage of adult stem cells has led to cures, embryonic stem-cell research has not – be presented?
The troubling aspect behind these lessons are that students will be discussing and debating the moral and ethical questions surrounding embryonic stem-cell research, In Vitro Fertilization (IVF), and preimplantation genetic testing of preborn infants. Are science teachers prepared to lead these discussions in an unbiased manner, as the CIRM portal contends? Or will students be subjected to viewpoint discrimination, as they are in other areas of curriculum already? Parents must be aware of what is being taught in their child’s classes and be prepared to discuss such ethical and moral issues with their children.
For more information:
· Citizenlink’s Issue Analysis, Bioethics/Sanctity of Human Life
· Family Research Council, Stem Cells and Biotechnology
A Victory for Free Speech and Religious Freedom
Bradley Johnson is a math teacher at Westview High School in the Poway Unified School District in San Diego. Prominently displayed in Mr. Johnson’s classroom is a banner that reads: “In God We Trust,” “One Nation Under God,” “God Bless America,” and “God Shed His Grace on Thee.” A second banner, which has been displayed in Mr. Johnson’s classroom for seventeen years, quotes an excerpt from the Declaration of Independence: “All Men Are Created Equal, They Are Endowed By Their Creator.”
In January 2007, Poway School District officials ordered Mr. Johnson to remove the banners because they “over-emphasized” God and “might make a Muslim student uncomfortable.” In response, Mr. Johnson, with help from the Thomas More Law Center, filed a federal lawsuit against the school district.
Last Friday, Federal District Court Judge Roger T. Benitez ruled that the Poway Unified School District violated Bradley Johnson’s constitutional rights when it ordered him to remove two patriotic banners from the walls of his classroom. The fact that school officials banned Johnson’s patriotic displays while permitting other teachers to display personal posters and banners promoting partisan political issues such as homosexual rights and environmental causes, including global warming, played a crucial role in the judge’s decision.
Other displays permitted by the district included a 35-40 foot string of Tibetan prayer flags with images of Buddha, a poster with the lyrics from John Lennon’s song “Imagine” which starts off, “Imagine there’s no heaven,” a poster with Hindu leader Mahatma Gandhi’s “7 Social Sins,” a poster of Muslim leader Malcolm X, and a poster of Buddhist leader Dalai Lama.
The 32-page opinion was strongly worded as Judge Benitez sternly criticized the Poway District’s aversion to mentioning God: “The school district officials apparently fear their students are incapable of dealing with diverse viewpoints that include God’s place in American history and culture. . . .that God places prominently in our Nation’s history does not create an Establishment Clause violation requiring curettage and disinfectant for Johnson’s public high school classroom walls. It is a matter of historical fact that our institutions and government actors have in past and present times given place to a supreme God.”
Judge Benitez acknowledged that public schools should provide students with a healthy exposure to diverse ideas and opinions. He then ruled, “Fostering diversity, however, does not mean bleaching out historical religious expression or mainstream morality. By squelching only Johnson’s patriotic and religious classroom banners, while permitting other diverse religious and anti-religious classroom displays, the school district does a disservice to the students of Westview High School and the federal and state constitutions do not permit this one-sided censorship.”
Judge Benitez ordered the school district “to permit Johnson to immediately re-display, in his assigned classroom, the two banners at issue in this case.” Mr. Johnson returned the displays to his classroom that same day.
Robert Muise, the Thomas More Law Center Senior Trial Counsel handling the case, stated, “Judge Benitez’s strong opinion sends a clear message to school districts across the country that hostility toward our Nation’s religious heritage is contrary to our constitution. Indeed, it was refreshing to read an opinion that does justice to our Nation’s history, rather than rewrite it.”
California Family Council (CFC) is in wholehearted agreement with Mr. Muise. CFC is dedicated to keeping you informed on issues regarding religious freedom, the sanctity of human life, the protection of traditional marriage and the authority of parents in the raising of their children. Please visit our website frequently for the latest news and information.
New Speaker Sworn-in: Bipartisanship, Budget and Reform are Top Priorities
The Speaker of the Assembly (Speaker) is one of the most powerful elected positions in California. Historically, Assembly Speakers have wielded considerable power over legislators, public policy and elections. They serve as the primary voice of the Assembly and manage the day-to-day business of that house of the Legislature. Since the passage of the 1990 term limits law, limiting an Assembly member’s term to a maximum of six years – three two-year terms – the Speaker’s power has also been limited.
Monday’s swearing-in of Assemblyman John Perez (D-Los Angeles), a former labor union official and first term legislator, as California’s 68th Speaker of the Assembly is considered a first step in restoring the speakership’s waning power. Prior to term limits, Assembly Speakers generally held their leadership position for approximately 8 years, allowing them ample time to garner and exert political power. Former Assembly Speaker Willie Brown is the most recent of the powerful Speakers; he tenaciously controlled and managed the Assembly for 15 years (1980-1995). During Brown’s tenure, he effectively used his position and authority to maintain order and concentrate his power. In the 15 years following Brown’s speakership, there have been 10 Assembly Speakers including Perez, and few with the ability to generate the political power or clout necessary to effectively lead the Assembly.
The Democrat-led Assembly that elected John Perez as Speaker does not envision him becoming another Willie Brown. However, they point to his freshman status and his perceived ability to work with the Legislature’s diverse membership, with hopes that he might consolidate power and get things done.
Further, the Democrat Caucus believes Speaker Perez will help restore public confidence in the Legislature, surmising that the public’s growing frustration with the Legislature’s ineffectiveness is a result of weak leadership. Perez’s ascension, in their minds, gives him five years to establish and cultivate his political power and leadership.
In his acceptance address, Perez demonstrated his determination to become a strong Speaker when he stated, “I intend to lead as you expect me to: boldly, creatively, and decisively.”
Speaker Perez also acknowledged in his address what polls have repeatedly shown –Californians expect legislators to work together to address the public’s priorities. He mentioned how California families are hurting and are frustrated with the Legislature because legislators refuse to focus on issues that provide “real help” in resolving California’s pressing fiscal and societal problems.
Perez’s words expressed a strong desire to resolve California’s projected $20 billion deficit, 12.4% jobless rate and California’s struggling economy. However, the installation ceremony which preceded his speech appeared inconsistent with the new Speaker’s stated priorities. The elaborate political ceremony focused more on Perez’s sexual orientation and homosexual political advancements than a commitment to solve California’s immediate problems.
As one Bay Area columnist writes, “Perez used the power of his position to spotlight the continuing fight for full marriage equality.” He also specifically chose State Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno to administer the oath of office, because Moreno was the only judge to vote to overturn the express will of California voters in the state trial over Prop 8. According to Perez, Moreno “was the only justice to stand with us in the court case. It just reinforced the magic of the moment for me.” The carefully choreographed event, with numerous politicians and special interest groups in attendance, overshadowed the bipartisan tone Perez had hoped to set.
Nonetheless, Perez’s 20 minute speech was intended to demonstrate his strong leadership skills and chart a new bipartisan course in the state Assembly. During his comments, he shared that he valued the service and dedication of all the legislators, Democrat and Republican alike, and vowed that all ideas would be heard and considered going forward. Traditionally, Republican ideas and bills have received limited or no consideration in the Democrat-controlled Legislature. Perez repeatedly spoke of the need to work together, highlighting times when he worked with Republicans to achieve a common goal.
In an effort to set the right tone and foster bipartisanship, Perez announced that he was appointing two Republican legislators to serve as Policy Committee Chairpersons. During the post-swearing-in ceremony press conference, he reaffirmed his commitment to bipartisanship and the need to focus on California’s budget crisis and creating jobs as his top priorities.
Perez also made “reform” a central theme of his speakership. He explained that “real reform” only occurs when there is bipartisan cooperation. The reform efforts envisioned include: removing the two-thirds vote requirement to approve the state budget; changing the Big 5 meeting process (from the closed-door budget meetings between the governor and Republican and Democrat leaders from the Assembly and Senate); and prohibiting text messaging between legislators and special interest lobbyists while in committee or in session.
As Perez stated in his speech, “…actions speak louder than words.” Perez is not the first politician to proclaim an end to partisanship and the beginning of “real reform.” Although his message resonates with the sentiments of California voters, his effectiveness in changing Sacramento’s contentious culture to focus the Assembly on the voters’ priorities remains to be seen. Californians are anxiously waiting to see their elected representatives place the people’s priorities over the demands of special interest groups. California Family Council will continue to monitor Speaker Perez’s progress as he takes the Assembly’s leadership reins.
Local Links
LOS ANGELES – A new charter school exclusively for LGBT and LGBT-friendly youths is scheduled to open in Los Angeles. The new school is a collaborative effort between Opportunities for Learning (OFL) and the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center program LifeWorks. Read more at SDNN.com.
LOS ANGELES – Controversy spread Tuesday over racially and ethnically charged incidents at several University of California campuses, when a KKK-style hood was found on the UC San Diego campus. In response to the controversy, UC students at the Los Angeles and Irvine campuses have begun demonstrating against the rise of such acts. Read more at Yahoo News.
SACRAMENTO – A new Field Poll shows half of California voters prefer closing the state's projected $20 billion deficit by cutting spending rather than raising taxes. Read more at KSBW.com.
LOMA LINDA – Cities’ fiscal woes are causing them to charge for use of their 911 emergency call centers. Residents in Loma Linda will be charged $300 for each 911 call to the Fire Department and non-residents will be billed $400. The new policy was established to fund the city’s emergency services program. Read more at Adelaidenow.com.au.
Truth Project Opportunities
RIVERSIDE – California Family Council continues to expand its offerings of the acclaimed Truth Project group leader training seminars. Training in biblical worldview is a prerequisite to living out authentic Christianity in today’s postmodern culture, with its subjective claims of truth.
Saturday, May 1, 2010 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Host Church: Big Valley Grace Community Church
4040 Tully Road
Modesto, CA 95356 (San Joaquin Valley)
Saturday, June 5, 2010 8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Host Church: Big Valley Grace Community Church
4040 Tully Road
Modesto, CA 95356 (San Joaquin Valley)
For more information on attending or hosting a seminar, call the California Family Council at 951.354.8362 and ask for Trudy. Register online for seminars at: www.californiafamily.org.
