Highlands Today
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Board Forgoes Vote On Evolution Resolution
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Published: February 7, 2008
SEBRING — Scientists, professors, parents and a student apparently convinced the members of the School Board of Highlands County that their individual beliefs should not collectively affect their decision as a board on the issue of teaching evolution.
Board members had stated their opposition to a portion of the proposed new state science standards, which state that evolution is the fundamental concept underlying all of biology. The board members said recently that evolution should be taught as a theory, not as fact.
At Tuesday's school board meeting, the board was scheduled to consider a resolution calling for the presentation of other theories of life in the study of science.
The board took no action on the resolution and did not discuss it after 10 people spoke – all in support of the teaching of evolution and in opposition of the proposed resolution.
"Evolution is the foundational theory of modern biology," said Patrick Bohlen, director of the MacArthur Agro-ecology Research Center, a division of Archbold Biological Station.
Quoting a great geneticist, Bohlen said, "nothing in biology makes any sense without it."
Perhaps the board is poorly informed on the difference between a scientific theory and fact, he said. A scientific theory is science's best understanding and best model of how nature works. Facts either support or do not support a theory.
"In the case of evolution, it is one of our best supported theories in terms of how the facts support that," Bohlen said. "I strongly and respectfully urge the honorable members of the board to support the newly proposed state science standards that finally, after many years, include evolution, the foundational theory of all modern biology."
The original resolution the school board considered states, "the State Board of Education is urged strongly to direct the Florida Department of Education to revise the new Sunshine State Standards for Science such that the "Big Bang" theory and evolution shall be presented only as two of several theories in the study of science."
School Board Chairman J. Ned Hancock suggested an alternative resolution, which was prepared shortly before Tuesday's meeting, that stated, "the board urges the State Board of Education to direct the Florida Department of Education to revise the new Sunshine State Standards for Science to allow for balanced, objective and intellectually open instruction in regard to evolution, teaching the scientific strengths and weaknesses of the theory rather than teaching evolution as dogmatic fact."
James Broen said he has a Ph.D. in microbiology and is a parent of three students in the school district.
"There is a lot of distortion, misrepresentation and misinformation about science and biology circulating about this community and apparently it permeates this board to some degree," he said. "Clearly there is a deficiency in science literacy and it would be a shame to see it perpetuate with students in this county."
The evolution of all organisms that live on earth today from ancestors that lived in the past is at the core of many science disciplines, Broen said.
Concerning the proposed resolution and the teaching of alternative theories, he asked the board, "what theories are you advocating being presented in the scientific curriculum?"
After a pause, Hancock replied, "I don't think you are going to get that answer."
Broen said, "since the resolution states there are other theories to be presented to the student, yet the board members have failed to produce them, then it seems this resolution must be discarded."
Elizabeth Broen said she now teaches at the college level, but was a teacher with the school district for five years. Evolution is a critical component of both the standard level and higher level International Baccalaureate biology course, she said. An I.B. document states, "students will learn why evolution is the fundamental concept that underlies all life sciences and it contributes to advances in medicine, public health and conservation."
The school district is considering starting an I.B. diploma program.
Religious beliefs, or the lack of them, should be respected and even discussed in public schools, Elizabeth Broen said, it is not however an appropriate topic for the science classroom.
Hill-Gustat Middle School student Kelly Broen said when she attended summer science camp for gifted students at Purdue University it was expected that the students already learned the basic concepts of evolution.
"I hope to enter a field of science when I'm older and so I need the best science education possible," she said, "so I only hope you will allow the theory of evolution to become prominent in our classes."
Other speakers who opposed the board's position included: senior research biologist Mark Deyrup and associate research biologist Reed Bowman, both of Archbold Biological Station and South Florida Community College professors Bill Gregory and Chris McConnell, who is also a medical doctor.
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