Georgia considers banning the word 'evolution' from texts

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http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/01/30/striking.evolution.ap/index.html

Ok, so let's say that a whole bunch of parents in a particular area don't want their children taught about Evolution (for whatever reason). And let's say that this group happens to represent the majority in that school district.

Should those parents have the right to alter school curriculum to reflect their preferences, or are school curriculums beholden to a "higher" standard... and if so, "what" standard guides school curriculum?

And how should parents who disagree with public education deal with their objection, should they have to remove their kids from public school to protect them from the information they disagree with? Or do they have the right to try to change the curriculum on a local level?

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I think this story is a riot.

They are not banning the theory of evolution from the classroom. They are only barring use of the word.

As said in the article....

"If you're teaching the concept without the word, what's the point?" said Rep. Bobby Franklin, a Republican. "It's stupid. It's like teaching gravity without using the word gravity."

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ebrown_p wrote:

I think this story is a riot.

They are not banning the theory of evolution from the classroom. They are only barring use of the word.

As said in the article....

"If you're teaching the concept without the word, what's the point?" said Rep. Bobby Franklin, a Republican. "It's stupid. It's like teaching gravity without using the word gravity."

I agree, it's silly. And it's sad that so many people are resisting the key tenets of science.

However, I do see what they are trying to do. The school district is trying to respond to the pressure they are getting from parents. The only thing I'm not clear on is just how much pressure a local group of parents is capable of applying?

I don't know what determines the curriculum of a school.

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Traditionally, school curriculum was set by local school boards and the PTAs were large "drivers" in that process.

A big part of the whole standardized testing concept to to reign in school systems that were going haywire with their courses.

What you are really talking about here is the friction between state/federal mandates and "local control".

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fishin' wrote:

What you are really talking about here is the friction between state/federal mandates and "local control".

Probably true.

Are there any "National Curriculum" standards currently, or are they just talking about "testing" standards?

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I'd guess the Dept of Ed probably has some suggested curriculum outlines but as far as I know there aren't any federal requirements that schools use them.

The testing thing is a bit weird. There are no federal testing standards. The Feds just require that each state develop their own state standards and test at certian points to make sure students meet the standards created.

But since the kids are supposed to be passing those tests the tests tend to drive the curriculum. The kids aren't going to pass the tests if the test material isn't covered in the classroom.

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No, every state adopts its own curriculum standards. some states, like Calif and Texas, actually dictate the wording that shall or not be used in books. The publishers bend over backwards becasue were talking major sales.
in Pa , we fought the anti-evolutionists in an open hearing before the stated curriculum advisory board of the Ed dept. that similar outcome has happened in all the other states where its been tried 9or else the original pronouncement was overturned as in Kansas0 The only state i know that has an 'alternative theory of the origin of life on earth' is Ohio. That is under review .

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The fun part is when the creationists are asked what evolution means. When I've asked them some stutter, some stammer, but they can't say. It's such a visceral subject for them they have a semantic reaction to the sound of the word.

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FM, the "creation science" folks in Ohio failed in their effort. The Board of Education polled teacher organizations, skipped the PTA, and said: "no dice."

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I must have been asleep, whoopee, our activist group was quite concerned when the state supreme court was going to hear the case. could you spare a link , i keep as current a notebook on this as i can.
The state supreme court became involved in Spring of 2003 and last Fall I heard from Eugenie cox that the fight was still on.

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I may be wrong on this then, FM, but that is what i recall from news reports. I see what i can find for you.

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Suppose the parents wanted the kids taught that the Earth is the center of the cosmos and the stars are points of light tacked onto a solid dome of the sky? Should a Department of Education respond to the "needs of the parents" in this case? No. It is the responsibility of the DoE to teach the children the best available scientific theory, and the idea of teaching a theory, but banning its name is ludicrous. I think they're just being cowardly, and bowing to pressure rather than representing the best interests of the kids.

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The right is pushing us towards a Moral Theocracy.

Never mind that we recently tried to eliminate a Moral Theocracy in Afghanistan.
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Sorry, FM, but i cannot find anything more current about Board of Education policy than their October, 2002 statement that evolution will be a part of the curriculum in schools supported by the state. It was rather weak-kneed, i suppose some might contend, because they simply ignored the calls for the inclusion of "intelligent design." If i stumble across anything more current, i'll let you know. The odd thing is, i was unable to access any of the Board of Education minutes for 2003. I'm pretty damned good at navigating the state's on-line content, too.

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Please remember: this is Georgia we're talkin' 'bout.

They haven't fully evolved yet.

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I feel bad for sane Georgians. A pity their idiots give them a bad name.

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Methinks a lot of you are posting based on the gut reaction to the thread topic here and NOT what the linked article actually says.

Yes, the whole idea is silly but there is no "banning" of the word evolution or of the concept of evolution being taught here.

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Much obliged there set. I was hoping some PTO or similar group would rise up and begin questioning their legislators. it was theohio ID group ,that began the whole brew -ha in the land of buckeye.

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FM, this is absolutely the latest word form ODE (Ohio Department of Education):

Ides of ODE wrote:

December 2002

Monthly Information from the Offices of Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment

CURRICULUM ISSUES

Science & Social Studies

At its business meeting on Tuesday, December 10, the State Board of Education adopted academic content standards for science and social studies. There was an amendment to the science standards that added a sentence to Grade 10 life science Indicator # 23 and Grade 9 - 10 Benchmark H. Portions of the indicator and benchmark now read, "Describe how scientists continue to investigate and critically analyze aspects of evolutionary theory. The intent of this indicator/benchmark does not mandate the teaching or testing of intelligent design."

In adopting the standards, the Board met the December 31, 2002, deadline that had been set in Amended Substitute Senate Bill 1. The approval of the new standards was the final step in a year-long process that included the selection of writing teams to draft the standards; extensive public involvement through focus groups, regional meetings, and the Department's web site; and in-depth discussions at Board meetings.

The next step for science and social studies is the development of curriculum models aligned to the academic content standards. By law, the State Board must adopt curriculum models in science and social studies by June 2004 - within 18 months of its adoption of the academic content standards.

The adopted science and social studies standards will be posted on the ODE web site no later than the week of December 23rd.

As you can see, this might change in June of this year, but for the nonce, the Department of Education ain't havin' nothin' to do with no "creation science" . . .

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Jimmy Carter slams Georgia's 'evolution' proposal:

http://www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/01/30/georgia.evolution/index.html

[But Carter said dropping the word would leave Georgia's high school graduates "with a serious handicap as they enter college or private life where freedom of speech will be permitted."

Carter also predicted ridicule for the state, along with discredit on Georgia's university system.

"The existing and long-standing use of the word 'evolution' in our state's textbooks has not adversely affected Georgians' belief in the omnipotence of God as creator of the universe," Carter said. "There can be no incompatibility between Christian faith and proven facts concerning geology, biology, and astronomy.

"There is no need to teach that stars can fall out of the sky and land on a flat Earth in order to defend our religious faith." ]

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Georgia considers banning the word 'evolution' from texts

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