By MONKEY TRIALS, SCOTT HATFIELD
Added: Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:00:00 UTC

Reposted from:
http://monkeytrials.blogspot.com/2008/01/sunshine-state-is-in-process-of.html

The Sunshine State is in the process of approving new standards for science that (gasp) actually mention the word 'evolution'! You would think that would be good news, inasmuch as the Fordham Foundation has consistently rated Florida as 'poor' on its teaching of evolution, as the graphic above illustrates.

Now, as PZ reports and Greg Laden elaborates, the number of Florida school boards which have either passed formal resolutions opposing evolution's inclusion in the standards or who have board members and superintendents hemming and hawing over the topic is swelling.

But, still, you might wonder: how bad is this, really? A picture is worth a few words, so I'm told, so I've taken the liberty of coddling together this sketch, as of Jan. 17th, of what's happening, county-by-county, below:



The counties with school boards passing resolutions against evolution are shown in orange, and the counties with trustees and supes hemming and hawing is shown in yellow. For the most up-to-date list, please add this page from the Florida Citizens for Science blog to your 'Favorites' and check frequently. Keep in mind that all of these creationist trial balloons have been launched since Nov. 30th, that a well-connected arch-conservative ambulance chaser is positioning to make this his next cause célèbre, and that this is all taking place in an environment that is likely to be charged by creationism's latest Trojan Horse, the ID-friendly, Ben Stein-hosted 'documentary' Expelled.

I am concerned. I hope that you are concerned, as well.

Posted by Scott Hatfield

TAGGED: EDUCATION, SCIENCE