"Curriculum battles across the USA" (2005)

Posted 8/14/2005 8:55 PM

Curriculum battles across the USA

• Georgia: In 2002, the Cobb County school board voted to let teachers discuss other theories of the origin of species besides the theory of evolution. Stickers were placed on textbooks that said evolution is "a theory, not a fact." In January, the stickers were ruled unconstitutional in federal court.

• Kansas: In 1999, a panel of the state's Board of Education voted to remove the teaching of evolution of the state curriculum. Board members were defeated in the next year's election, and the new board reversed this decision. The board elected in 2004 held new hearings and has recommended that schools also teach criticism of evolution.

• Minnesota: In 1998, high school biology teacher Rodney LeVake was reassigned to another science course after he refused to teach evolution. LeVake sued for the right to teach "evidence against evolution," but he lost the case and multiple appeals. Ultimately, he was denied a review by the U.S. Supreme Court.

• New Mexico: In 1996, the state Board of Education passed scientific guidelines that omitted any mention of evolution or the age of the planet. Evolution supporters won ground in the next school board elections in 1998. The board voted in 1999 to restore evolution to the guidelines.

• Ohio: In 2002, the Board of Education held an inquiry on how to teach evolution. Last year, the state ratified education guidelines that included a "Critical Analysis of Evolution," under which teachers were encouraged to lead discussions on "evolution theory."

• Pennsylvania: The school board of Dover voted last year to instruct students in "gaps/problems" in the theory of evolution and to include "intelligent design" in their curricula. A group of parents, aided by the ACLU, filed a lawsuit to stop the rules. The case is scheduled for trial in September.

• Wisconsin: The school board of Grantsburg passed a motion in June 2004 "to direct our science department to teach all theories of origin." After some complaints, this was amended in October to: "When theories of origin are taught, students will study various scientific models/theories of origin and identify the scientific data supporting each."

Source: USA TODAY research