No education in Florida

[William T Goodall]

http://www.ocala.com/article/20080216/NEWS/802160345/1368/googlesitemapnews

"Survey finds faith trumps science for Florida parents

BY RON MATUS AND
DONNA WINCHESTER
St. Petersburg Times

Florida parents don't have much faith in evolution.

Only 22 percent want public schools to teach an evolution-only  
curriculum, while 50 percent want only faith-based theories such as  
creationism or intelligent design, according to a new St. Petersburg  
Times survey.

"I have a very firm religious background," said Betty Lininger of  
Lecanto, who is raising her 15-year-old niece and thinks public  
schools should teach intelligent design but not evolution. "I can't  
just shove it out the door."

The survey findings stand in stark contrast to the state's proposed  
new science standards, which describe evolution as the pillar of  
modern biology and do not include alternative theories.

If the state Board of Education approves them Tuesday, the new  
standards will guide what Florida students are taught and tested on.

The Times survey - which included questions about evolution and a host  
of other education issues was administered to 702 registered voters  
Feb. 6-10, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage  
points.

It revealed a huge gulf between scientists and the public.

While the vast majority of scientists consider evolution to be backed  
by strong evidence, nearly two-thirds of those polled were skeptical.

Twenty-nine percent said evolution is one of several valid theories.  
Another 16 percent said evolution is not backed up by enough evidence.  
And 19 percent said evolution is not valid because it is at odds with  
the Bible.

"It just shows we have a lot of work to do," said Christopher D'Elia,  
a marine biologist who is an interim vice chancellor at the University  
of South Florida St. Petersburg.

Fundamentalist Christians, often portrayed as the heart of the  
antievolution opposition, weren't the only ones who expressed doubt.  
While only 9 percent of respondents who described themselves as  
evangelicals or fundamentalists wanted an evolution-only curriculum,  
the numbers still weren't very high for Protestants overall (16  
percent) or Catholics (21 percent).

Sue Sams of Spring Hill, a retired English teacher who describes  
herself as Protestant, said schools should teach creationism only.

"I don't disagree with the theory of evolution," said Sams, 65. "I'm  
just not sure it's 100 percent right."

Responses such as Sams' fly in the face of endorsements from thousands  
of scientists and scores of scientific societies, including the  
National Academy of Sciences and the American Association for the  
Advancement of Science.

"There is no justification for singling out evolution for special  
skepticism or critical analysis," wrote Richard T. O'Grady, executive  
director of the American Institute of Biological Sciences in a Feb. 8  
letter to the Board of Education. "Its strength as a scientific theory  
matches that of the theory of gravitation, atomic theory and the germ  
theory."

The response from Dennis Baxley, executive director of the Christian  
Coalition of Florida: "He's in error."

"At one time, the scientific community thought that for good health,  
you should attach leeches to your body," said Baxley, a former state  
representative from Ocala. "We're just asking them to leave the door  
open a little bit" for other evidence to be considered.

Scientists say opponents are grossly distorting the evidence in an  
effort to fuel skepticism.

But they say a wide range of other factors are at play: Confusion over  
the term "theory" (which in a scientific context means much more than  
a hunch); a lack of basic science literacy among much of the public;  
and a common perception that science and faith are automatically at  
odds.

"There are many scientists who are religious," D'Elia said. "They know  
it's a different domain."

It's unclear how much public opinion may sway the Board of Education.  
The board, which is appointed, often has backed unpopular policies -  
including use of high-stakes testing to grade schools - and often has  
described its approach as data-driven and evidence-based.

"We don't determine our science by polls," said John Stemberger,  
president of the Florida Family Policy Council, a group that supports  
Biblical values. But in this case, the poll results are relevant  
because "policymakers need to be responsive at some level to parents."

The Times survey is just the latest in a long line of polls that found  
a public divided on evolution. Among other findings:

* 43 percent said human beings evolved over millions of years, while  
45 percent said humans were created directly by God.

* 54 percent of men said humans evolved over millions of years  
compared with 35 percent of women.

* 52 percent of college graduates said humans evolved compared with 33  
percent of those with four years of high school or less.

* 31 percent of white respondents said only evolution should be taught  
in schools compared with 7 percent of nonwhites.

Florida State University professor Michael Ruse said the numbers are  
not likely to change any time soon. He likened the clash over  
evolution to the civil rights movement.

"People are going to have to be carried kicking and screaming over the  
threshold," said Ruse, an authority on the history and philosophy of  
science. "If we can only get over this hangup about the sciences and  
evolution, 20, 40, 50 years from now, people are going to be looking  
back and saying, 'Am I ever glad we don't have to fight that anymore.'Ê"

The board may be boxed in by court rulings. The U.S. Supreme Court  
ruled in 1987 that teaching creationism violates the constitutional  
separation of church and state. And in 2005, a U.S. district judge in  
Pennsylvania ruled that intelligent design is a repackaged form of  
creationism.

Many opponents say they're not pushing faith-based theories, just a  
less dogmatic approach to evolution.

It's an argument that appeals to Americans' sense of fairness.

Kim Geiss of Safety Harbor said public schools should teach evolution,  
creationism and intelligent design.

"Until we can say definitely, 100 percent that this is the way it  
happened, we can't tell our children evolution is the only way," said  
Geiss, 37, who worked as an engineer before her daughter was born. "We  
don't know that. I don't think we ever will know that.""


Apart from the present debate it's clear that something went very  
wrong with American education a long time ago.

Just a theory Maru.

-- 
William T Goodall
Mail : wtg at wtgab.demon.co.uk
Web  : http://www.wtgab.demon.co.uk
Blog : http://radio.weblogs.com/0111221/

"Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit  
atrocities." ~Voltaire.