Florida public school officials have hit upon a novel idea: require evolution to be taught in biology classes.
On Feb. 19, The Florida Department of Education is contemplating updated science standards that would require the teaching of evolution in middle- and high school science courses.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that the new science standards are meant to “beef up lackluster science education in the schools.” But that movement for improvement has sparked a backlash led by Religious Right groups and their allies on school boards and in the state legislature.
The Miami Herald reports that as soon as the proposed science standards were announced, a string of rural Florida county school boards passed resolutions attacking the standards. In addition, a state Department of Education staffer sent out a “call-to-arms e-mail to fellow Christians, noting that teaching evolution will be ‘a COMPLETE contradiction of what we Teach them at home.”
Board of education member Donna Callaway said in interview with the Florida Baptist Witness that “other theories of the origins of life” should also be taught in the science classrooms.”
The Baptist newspaper followed up with an editorial attacking the proposed standards and “the overwhelming majority of scientists who continue to cling to Darwinian evolution with a religious-like devotion.”
Dennis Bennett, superintendent of Dixie County Schools, said he opposes teaching evolution as a fact because “everyone knows that it’s not fact. There’s holes in it you can drive a truck through.”
Evolution has long been embraced by the world’s scientists as the cornerstone of biology. Some Florida state lawmakers, however, hope to use the common usage of the word “theory” to undermine the teaching of evolution in the state’s public schools.
Rep. Marti Coley and Sen. Stephen Wise told The Miami Herald and other news outlets that they are considering filing legislation that would specifically dub evolution a “theory” if the state education board approves the new science standards.
Wise has gone further than Coley, saying that creationism should be taught alongside evolution.
“Put them side by side,” Wise told the newspaper.
Federal court precedent, however, holds that creationism is not science and thus not fit to be taught in public school science classes. In 2005, a federal judge ruled that “intelligent design,” the latest variant of creationism, is religion, not science.
Florida Citizens For Science, which supports improved state science standards, reports on its Web site that 10 school boards in North Florida have denounced changing the standards in favor of the teaching of evolution.
State science teachers and college professors have publicly supported changing the standards to bolster the teaching of evolution. And some state lawmakers have come forward denouncing the move to shove religion into the science classroom.
State Sen. Nan Rich told the Herald that he was amazed at the amount of criticism the proposed science standards were drawing.
“But this is Florida,” he said. “Rather than fixing education, we get caught up in mixing religion and state.”
It shouldn’t be that way. But Religious Right activists have adeptly kept religion and science, in some quarters, pitted against one another. The Florida Department of Education should stand up to the Religious Right bullying and support standards promoting sound science education.
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