In March of 2002 the Cobb County School Board (north metro Atlanta) put the following anti-evolution sticker in a variety of its high school science books:
Today that Georgia school board abandoned its legal defense of that nonsense:
Americans United Applauds Settlement Of Georgia Lawsuit Over Evolution DisclaimerThe National Center for Science Education has a nice background page on this issue, from which I've lifted the following FAQs:
Americans United for Separation of Church and State today lauded a Georgia public school board’s decision to drop its defense of anti-evolution disclaimers for science textbooks.
The Cobb County School Board has agreed to settle the long-running legal fracas over its 2002 decision to place anti-evolution stickers in high school biology textbooks.
In an agreement announced today, Cobb County school officials state that they will not order the placement of “any stickers, labels, stamps, inscriptions, or other warnings or disclaimers bearing language substantially similar to that used on the sticker that is the subject of this action.” School officials also agreed not to take other actions that would undermine the teaching of evolution in biology classes.
“Cobb County school officials have taken the right step to ensure that their students receive a quality education,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, executive director of Americans United. “Students should be taught sound science, and the curriculum should not be altered at the behest of aggressive religious groups.” (Americans United press release continued here.)
As part of their settlement of this matter, the Cobb County School Board agreed to pay $166,659 towards plaintiffs' legal costs. Add to that their own attorney costs and assorted legal fees, plus costs for time each school board member spent discussing and implementing this nonsense policy for the past five years, and it amounts to...a shameful waste of precious monies that could have gone to worthwhile and needed educational programs and services for the kids in that district. Every damn one of those school board members responsible for this profound folly should have the moral integrity to remove themselves from office.Frequently Asked Questions
What's wrong with the disclaimer's language?
"Theory, not fact" disclaimers have been used by creationists for years in an attempt to cast doubt on evolution. This language is misleading in several ways:
First, in science, the word "theory" does not mean "guess." Rather, a scientific theory is a well-tested, systematic explanation of facts. Scientific theories are well-supported and well-accepted.
Second, the theory of evolution is among the most important, well-tested theories in all of science; it is as fundamental to biology as atomic theory is to chemistry, the germ theory of disease to medicine, or Einstein's theory of relativity to physics.
Third, the sticker singles out evolution from the many theories discussed in science classes, thus implying that evolution requires special skepticism. This is not scientifically justifiable.
This may be bad science education, but why is it unconstitutional?
The First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution requires that the government be neutral in matters of religion. The government may not give special privileges to a particular religion or promote a partcular religious belief. Cooper ruled that the disclaimer, by denigrating evolution, provides special support for special creationism, a particular religious belief.
No comments:
Post a Comment