A Florida public school board voted Thursday in favor of a resolution to pressure state education officials to change recently imposed standards that they regard as a mandate to teach evolution “as scientific fact.”
Members of the Nassau County School Board want the standards to include language “such that evolution is not presented at the exclusion of other theories of origin of life.”
Representatives from another Florida district, the LaFayette County School Board, also protested the new standards, which were adopted January 25.
One contested excerpt from the policy requires that 7th grade students be taught to
Recognize and describe that fossil evidence is consistent with the idea that human beings evolved from earlier species.” (p. 25)
Another contentious issue that has emerged in this debate is Seminole County’s directive to public school teachers to refuse to speak to the media under any circumstances:
“It has come to our attention that press calls are being made to some schools regarding the question of teaching evolution in our schools… This question is a district issue, not one to which individuals should respond…
It is the official position of the administration that is responsible for making curriculum decisions that the science curriculum of Seminole County Public Schools is aligned with the Sunshine State Standards and meets the requirements of law. No discussion beyond that statement is held.”
Both the proposed revisions and the administrative gag order have drummed up quite a bit of controversy. With Charles Darwin’s birthday approaching on Feb. 12, it seems likely that more commentary on the subject is forthcoming.
It’s really makes me nervous when government votes on facts. I prefer a free marketplace of ideas where different view points get an airing and have to win on their merits.
Usually, government puts a clamp on ideas to protect their own political power.