Banazîr the Jedi Hobbit (banazir) wrote,
Banazîr the Jedi Hobbit
banazir
  • Mood: irate

Creationists: They're Baaack

Remember the brouhaha that erupted back in 1999 when the Kansas State Board of Education decided to adopt science standards that de-emphasize the teaching of evolution in public schools? Whether you do or not, you can read about it here at the Topeka Capital-Journal Online. Here's the gist:
Thursday, 12 Aug 1999 - The Kansas State Board of Education on Wednesday -- in a controversial decision that attracted nationwide attention -- adopted a new set of science standards that de-emphasizes the teaching of evolution in public schools.

The new standards, approved on a 6-4 vote, were drafted by a three-member subcommittee that was controlled by socially conservative members of the state school board. The teaching standards essentially leave the decision of what to teach on the subjects of evolution and creationism to local school boards.

"This is a terrible, tragic, embarrassing solution to a problem that didn't exist," Gov. Bill Graves said in a brief statement released by his office. His spokesman, Mike Matson, said the governor saw no reason for the board to get into the debate.
In the aftermath, four board members voting for the resolution were later defeated by moderates, and the resolution was reversed:
Tuesday, 01 Aug 2000 - According to AANEWS: Four Republican candidates on the Kansas Board of Education who voted to remove testing on evolution ran for re-election. Three were defeated in a primary election. They were the Board chairperson Linda Holloway, who had championed the creationist cause, Douglass Brown, and Brad Angell. All three were defeated by moderate Republicans. The fourth, Roger Rankin, won his primary. Spending in past elections had been on the order of $500. Holloway raised nearly $90 thousand; her opponent, Sue Gamble, raised $35 thousand. AANEWS reported that "Holloway blamed her loss on 'propaganda' over the creation-evolution debate. Gamble, though, saw her nomination victory as a rejection of the board's tampering with science standards, and told reporters, 'I think it's a validation of parents and other community people speaking for their schools and quality education.'"

( Source | ReligiousTolerance.org )

Well, here's what has happened this past election: Kathy Martin, a proponent of the theory of intelligent design, has declared opposition to the teaching of the theory of evolution in KS schools.

Sunday, 26 Sep 2004:
For supporters of teaching evolution in Kansas public schools, the best defense is a good offense.

In January, the balance of power on the state Board of Education is expected to shift to social conservatives who want to include creation science and intelligent design among the theories taught in science classes, or remove evolution from the classroom.

In 1999, when the school board last voted to de-emphasize evolution, it took evolutionists months to organize and respond to the action. The board later reversed its decision in 2000.

This time around, evolution supporters are hoping to head off changes in state science standards before the new school board convenes early next year. The effort will start Tuesday, when [the University of Kansas] science department will play host to a speech by Jack Krebs, an Oskaloosa high school teacher and vice-president of Kansas Citizens for Science.

"This speech is meant to be a rallying cry," Krebs said. "Last time, the rallying cry happened after the fact. This time, it needs to happen beforehand."

...

Conservative Republican Kathy Martin won the District 6 board seat in the August primary against incumbent and moderate Republican Bruce Wyatt. Martin, who will be sworn in this January, said as far as she knew, the changes in the science standards would be "minor."

( Source article: "Evolution defenders anticipate new fight" | The Lawrence Journal-World )

On Monday, 18 Oct 2004, Kathy Martin spoke on our campus.
Tuesday, 19 Oct 2004 - Science classes in Kansas public schools should examine all possible theories, said Kathy Martin, Republican candidate for the sixth district seat on the State Board of Education.

In Martin’s speech Monday, "A Vision for the State School Board," she set the record straight about her position about teaching creationism in public schools.

"I’m not for teaching creationism in our science classes," she said. "I’m just saying that besides evolution, theory of intelligent design should be allowed to be discussed in the classroom."

( Source article: "Martin visits K-State, speaks" | Kansas State Collegian )


Wednesday, 20 Oct 2004 - LETTER: Candidate not suited for board

Editor,

After attending Kathy Martin's lecture and Q&A session, I am left in awe of how much we need the theory of evolution to be taught in schools and taught to future teachers. Martin has been the head science teacher at the elementary school in Clay Center for many years, yet her understanding of evolutionary theory is not what we should expect of someone who should be a scientist of sorts...

Joseph Kern
Senior in Secondary Education
Kansas State University

( Source article: "LETTER: Candidate not suited for board" | Kansas State Collegian )

On Tuesday, 02 Nov 2004, Kathy Martin was elected to the Kansas State Board of Education, District 6. She had run unopposed.
Audio segments from The Lawrence Journal-World (MS Internet Explorer only, unfortunately): Kathy Martin on



Please do educate yourself on opposing viewpoints.

Evolution Science perspectives

Creationist perspectives

News and review


--
Banazir
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