Science

Some Groups to Boycott Kan. Hearings on Evolution

By Sean Cavanagh — April 26, 2005 3 min read
  • Save to favorites
  • Print

As yet another drama unfolds over the teaching of evolution in Kansas, highlighted this time by a series of upcoming public hearings on the topic, several groups from the mainstream scientific community say they will not participate.

The American Association for the Advancement of Science, along with a number of Kansas advocacy organizations, will skip the hearings out of what they say is concern that the sessions will distort the nature of Charles Darwin’s theory—and the study of science itself.

In an April 11 letter, Alan I. Leshner, the chief executive officer of the AAAS, an international organization with headquarters in Washington, declined an invitation from the Kansas education department to take part or provide speakers. The hearings, scheduled for May 5-7, in Topeka, and possibly May 12-14, could mislead the public into thinking that “scientific conclusions are based on expert opinion, rather than on data,” he wrote.

The hearings, he argued, would also falsely promote the idea that religiously based views of life’s origins and development should be discussed in the same forum as evolution, a well-established scientific explanation of how human and other forms of life developed.

“Facts and faith both have the power to improve people’s lives, and they can and do coexist,” Mr. Leshner wrote. “But they should not be pitted against one another in science classrooms.”

Officials of the congressionally chartered National Academy of Sciences had not been contacted by Kansas officials about the meeting as of late last week, said Jay Labov, the senior adviser for education and communication for the National Research Council, the principal operating arm of the NAS. But Mr. Labov echoed Mr. Leshner’s concern that the hearings would put religious beliefs and science in the same forum.

Absence Noted?

Last month, NAS President Bruce Alberts wrote a letter to members of the academy asking for their help in combating attempts to weaken the teaching of evolution. (“Scientists Offer Ground-Level Support for Evolution,” April 6, 2005.)

Al Teich, the director of the AAAS’ science and policy programs, said his organization supported Mr. Alberts’ mission, too, but he doubted it could be served at the Kansas hearings, which are being arranged with “a particular outcome in mind,” he said.

Several Kansas groups that support the teaching of evolution, such as Kansas Citizens for Science, agree. They say the events are being orchestrated by conservative members of the state board. As of last week, 23 individuals believed to favor the inclusion of alternatives to Darwin’s theory in science classes had signed up to speak.

In 1999, Kansas drew worldwide attention when the state school board deleted most references to evolution from the state science standards. That decision was reversed by a new board two years later. But elections last year provided what is believed to be a new, 6-4 majority on the board in favor of offering more critical views of evolution.

The latest controversy emerged when a 26-member committee began a scheduled review of the science standards. The committee produced a draft document that gives full treatment to evolution, but an eight-member minority completed its own, dissenting document. State board members asked for the hearings to examine points of dispute between the two reports.

Robert A. DiSilvestro, a professor of nutrition at Ohio State University, in Columbus, who supports introducing students to alternatives to evolution and plans to speak at the Kansas hearings, said scientists who boycott the events unwittingly help their opposition.

“It’s a bad idea,” he said. The public, he predicted, will say, “ ‘If your ideas are so good, why aren’t you here to defend them?’ ”

Related Tags:

Events

Student Well-Being Webinar After-School Learning Top Priority: Academics or Fun?
Join our expert panel to discuss how after-school programs and schools can work together to help students recover from pandemic-related learning loss.
Budget & Finance Webinar Leverage New Funding Sources with Data-Informed Practices
Address the whole child using data-informed practices, gain valuable insights, and learn strategies that can benefit your district.
This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Classroom Technology Webinar
ChatGPT & Education: 8 Ways AI Improves Student Outcomes
Revolutionize student success! Don't miss our expert-led webinar demonstrating practical ways AI tools will elevate learning experiences.
Content provided by Inzata

EdWeek Top School Jobs

Teacher Jobs
Search over ten thousand teaching jobs nationwide — elementary, middle, high school and more.
View Jobs
Principal Jobs
Find hundreds of jobs for principals, assistant principals, and other school leadership roles.
View Jobs
Administrator Jobs
Over a thousand district-level jobs: superintendents, directors, more.
View Jobs
Support Staff Jobs
Search thousands of jobs, from paraprofessionals to counselors and more.
View Jobs

Read Next

This content is provided by our sponsor. It is not written by and does not necessarily reflect the views of Education Week's editorial staff.
Sponsor
Science Whitepaper
Statewide Professional Learning Supports Tennessee’s Computer Science Efforts
Learn more about this collective approach that ensures teachers in any grade band are equipped with strategies to provide computer scienc...
Content provided by Battelle
Science White Students Are Less Concerned About Climate Change Than Students of Color. Here's Why
Nearly half of white teenagers said the threat of climate change hasn't affected their plans for the future.
4 min read
A person is faced with a decision between an open doorway placed on a dry, dark, cracked ground with dark skies or an open doorway placed on bright green grass with blue skies.
iStock/Getty
Science Rural Students Are More Skeptical of Climate Change. What Should Teachers Do?
Nearly 8 in 10 U.S. teenagers agree with the scientific consensus that climate change is real and mainly caused by human activity.
2 min read
Digitally generated image of a forked road. It leads in two directions. One towards a bleak future where climate change has destroyed the enviroment. The other way shows a way towards prosperity with renewable energy and a sustainable climate. In the middle of the road stands a 3D-model person.
iStock/Getty
Science How Lessons About Public Health Can Engage Students in Science Class
Curriculum about real problems can help students understand their daily lives and see themselves in the subject, educators say.
4 min read
Image of students representing their projects at a science fair.
Allison Shelley/The Verbatim Agency for EDUimages