Averted in the Park Hill School District

Last year a student at Park Hill High School complained of a science teacher who was teaching his own form of creationism/intelligent design in the high school. In addition the teacher was downplaying the importance of the theory of evolution by natural selection. The student's concerns were brought to the attention of several folks in and around Parkville, including the teacher, the school principal, the other science teachers, and politically active, long-time school board member. Blog postings (elsewhere) resulted in a regional and national science education organizations getting involved and the result was the teacher has promised to teach science and cease the teaching of supernaturalism. The real question is. "can we be sure this won't happen again?"

In Texas there was recently a statewide effort to subvert science teaching with myth and supernaturalism. The following italicized quotes are directly from an email sent by AAAS: "In a letter to the Texas State Board of Education, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and two dozen leaders of the Texas science and education community urged rejection of amendments to draft science standards that would undermine sound science teaching. In a supporting commentary in the San Antonio Express-News, AAAS warned that the antiscience amendments could undermine the state's reputation as an international engine of discovery and innovation. Read the full text of the letter and commentary. "

"Note: In the 27 March final vote on the standards, the board narrowly supported teaching the mainstream theory of evolution without reinserting the directive to study the "strengths and weaknesses" of evolution and without requiring standards to study the "sufficiency or insufficiency" of natural selection. However, the board approved other amendments above the advice of scientific experts, including a directive to teach "all sides of scientific evidence," which critics fear will embolden the board to challenge science textbooks when they come up for approval in 2011. "

The Park Hill schools are some of the finest in the nation. Parents and students need to keep a watchful eye, and ear, on what's being taught in nscience.

==JFK==