Freethought & Rationalism Archive

davidm · 02-05-2004, 06:35 PM

Georgia drops plan to remove the word "evolution" from school curriculum

Edited to add: Oops! I see this was already reported on this thread!

wildlifer · 02-06-2004, 02:42 PM

Any word on whether or not they're just putting "evolution" back in the standards and not the deleted text?

RufusAtticus · 02-06-2004, 03:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wildlifer
Any word on whether or not they're just putting "evolution" back in the standards and not the deleted text?

Given GADOE's silence on the topic, we can conclude that only the term "evolution" will be recommeded by Cox to be added back in.

Cox et al. haven't yet admitted to removing anything other than "the one word." In fact the opposite is true, department spokesmen have flat out lied and stated that "only the one word is missing; the theory and underlying concepts are there."

This is nothing but a smokescreen to get people to think that we have won. The petition has died up. Whereas it was growing at about a rate of 1,000 a day, today saw less than 300 signatures added. Twelve thousand is a good number but the drop off has me worried that the public will stop paying attention.

I've been going around today informing people that there is a lot of work left to be done. My analysis page is very helpful in convincing people about what is actually going on with the life science standards.

Asha'man · 02-06-2004, 04:01 PM

Well, at least the press is starting to catch on. Today's AJC article clearly mentions that the word 'evolution' was not the only thing removed:

'Evolution' back in teaching plan

Quote:

Statements deleted

Portions of the national standards that were deleted in Cox's proposal include a detailed explanation of natural selection � how organisms with inherited advantages are more likely to survive and reproduce.

Other deleted statements included: "Life on Earth is thought to have begun as simple, one-celled organisms about 4 billion years ago. During the first 2 billion years, only single-cell microorganisms existed, but once cells with nuclei developed about a billion years ago, increasingly complex multicellular organisms evolved."

Albion · 02-06-2004, 09:38 PM

I liked the statement about how it's great that she put the word back and now she needs to put the science back. I wonder if the publicity about the omissions will force her to do it or what sort of excuses she'll come up with for knowing better than the AAAS.

RufusAtticus · 02-07-2004, 10:06 AM

I found this on Alton Brown's Blog:

Quote:

Georgia state school Superintendent Kathy Cox has decided that the word �evolution� is ��a buzzword that causes a lot of negative reaction� and should be replaced in all Georgia school curriculum with the phrase �biological changes over time�.

I agree. I hate buzzwords, don�t you? That�s why I think we should go one further and replace the phrase �slack-jawed backwater ignoramus� with the phrase �Kathy Cox�.

RufusAtticus · 02-07-2004, 10:53 AM

AJC Quiz: What do you know about evolution?

pz · 02-07-2004, 01:40 PM

I strongly suspect that the "evolution word" controversy was really a stalking horse for the other shenanigans they've pulled on actually teaching evolution. They distracted the media for the time necessary, now they'll just pretend there is no further problem.

RufusAtticus · 02-07-2004, 02:40 PM

My petition made it into Science; although, Science got a lot wrong about the standards.

wildlifer · 02-08-2004, 12:26 PM

Teaching Evolution

Feb. 6, 2004

According to the Georgia Department of Education, the word evolution is a "controversial buzzword" that should be removed from the state's biology curriculum. In this hour, we'll take a look at science education in schools. Should evolution be out? And what should science class teach us about the age and origins of the universe? Join NPR's Ira Flatow for a look at new challenges to teaching evolution in public schools.

Guests:

Eugenie C. Scott
*Director of the National Council for Science Education

Lawrence Krauss
*Ambrose Swasey professor of physics and chairman of the physics department at Case Western Reserve University
*Director of the Center for Education and Research in Cosmology and Astrophysics at Case Western Reserve University

02-08-2004, 12:26 PM	#150
wildlifer Regular Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: OK Posts: 267	NPR Teaching Evolution Feb. 6, 2004 According to the Georgia Department of Education, the word evolution is a "controversial buzzword" that should be removed from the state's biology curriculum. In this hour, we'll take a look at science education in schools. Should evolution be out? And what should science class teach us about the age and origins of the universe? Join NPR's Ira Flatow for a look at new challenges to teaching evolution in public schools. Guests: Eugenie C. Scott Director of the National Council for Science Education Lawrence Krauss Ambrose Swasey professor of physics and chairman of the physics department at Case Western Reserve University *Director of the Center for Education and Research in Cosmology and Astrophysics at Case Western Reserve University

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02-05-2004, 06:35 PM	#141
davidm Banned Join Date: May 2002 Location: New York City Posts: 1,617	Georgia drops plan to remove the word "evolution" from school curriculum Edited to add: Oops! I see this was already reported on this thread!

02-06-2004, 02:42 PM	#142
wildlifer Regular Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: OK Posts: 267	Any word on whether or not they're just putting "evolution" back in the standards and not the deleted text?

02-06-2004, 09:38 PM	#145
Albion Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Location: US east coast. And www.theroyalforums.com Posts: 2,829	I liked the statement about how it's great that she put the word back and now she needs to put the science back. I wonder if the publicity about the omissions will force her to do it or what sort of excuses she'll come up with for knowing better than the AAAS.

02-07-2004, 10:53 AM	#147
RufusAtticus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NCSU Posts: 5,853	AJC Quiz: What do you know about evolution?

02-07-2004, 01:40 PM	#148
pz Veteran Member Join Date: Aug 2001 Location: Morris, MN Posts: 3,341	I strongly suspect that the "evolution word" controversy was really a stalking horse for the other shenanigans they've pulled on actually teaching evolution. They distracted the media for the time necessary, now they'll just pretend there is no further problem.

02-07-2004, 02:40 PM	#149
RufusAtticus Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: NCSU Posts: 5,853	My petition made it into Science; although, Science got a lot wrong about the standards.

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