Change the membership of the Board of Education; there's an excellent opportunity this election to replace a hard right candidate with one that is experienced, smart, and liberal.

Tom Sawyer http://www.votetomsawyer.com/ is running against Board member Dr. Deborah Owens Fink (PhD in marketing).

But in the pocket of the pseudo-scientific right is incumbent and Professor of Marketing, Dr. Deborah Owens Fink (See comment). In addition to pushing Intelligent Design Creationism and vouchers, Dr. Fink has ties to Kenneth Blackwell and is, shall we say, familiar with the state and national GOP cash machine. Dr. Fink recently referred to the National Academy of Sciences as "a group of so-called scientists," and to Tom Sawyer's impressive, bipartisan support in the scientific and teaching community--including prominent Science Bloggers--as "just a small group of dogmatic scientists..."   Link

The Akron Beacon Journal has additional background.

Fink has abundant GOP and religious right support so Sawyer will need help from within and outside of the state. Volunteers are needed who live in District 7 (all of Summit, Portage, Trumbull and Ashtabula counties) and anyone can donate to Sawyer's campaign.

BoE elections tend to fly under the radar; this is an important one that needs national attention.  


by Psyche on Wed Sep 06, 2006 at 09:35:28 PM EST

With comments like she made... and the number of diploma mills popping up, it makes me wonder.

But then, in my opinion- marketing is getting people to throw away their hard-earned income on something they neither want nor need.


by ArchaeoBob on Thu Sep 07, 2006 at 11:04:13 PM EST

is to support (or join) pro-science education groups.  Patricia Princehouse of Case Western Reserve has worked tirelessly through Ohio Citizens for Science to expose the creationists' efforts since this began in 2002.  Here is the link  http://www.ohioscience.org/

It is sad that there has been so little information available about candidates for the State Board of Education.  Two years ago Dave "Coach" Daubenmire ran for the seat in my district.  Yes, the same Dave Daubenmire who was arrested in Fla for trying to give water to Terri Schiavo, and who can be found at any major anti-choice rally.  The only information I could find about his opponent was that she wasn't Dave Daubenmire.  The meat of his platform was to rid Ohio schools of evolution and return prayer to its proper place -- the class room.  Fortunately, it was low voter turnout in our county that prevented his election.

by OhioMom on Fri Sep 08, 2006 at 11:02:10 AM EST