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In 1997, the last time the Texas Board of Education considered new biology
books, the board almost accepted textbooks that did not mention evolution. The
Texas Education Agency, which writes the state education standards, virtually
eliminated the possibility of that reoccurring by requiring that textbooks include
evolution, and that students learn evolution’s basic concepts. But now
that the Texas board is considering 11 biology and science textbooks for adoption
and use in its 2004-2005 school year, the evolution debate has once again erupted
in Texas and around the country.
Opponents of evolution have been lobbying to introduce what they perceive as
weaknesses of evolution into the science books. At a July 9 hearing, the board
heard from nearly three dozen scientists and educators from across the state
who defended the tenets of evolution and challenged the board to reject the
lobbyists’ attempts at “watering down evolution.” Evolution proponents
refuted findings from a recent report by the Seattle-based Discovery Institute’s
(DI) Center for Science and Culture, which criticizes the accuracy of evolution
discussions in the biology textbooks in question.
As Texas is the second-largest purchaser of textbooks in the country, if the
board rejects these textbooks for language it dislikes about evolution, publishers
are likely to remove the language or change it to meet board standards. These
compromises could then show up in other states.
DI is a nonprofit organization that promotes intelligent design as an alternative
to evolution. Their 41-page analysis of the treatment of evolution is based
almost entirely on biologist and DI fellow Jonathan Wells’ Icons of
Evolution. The report calls the tenets of the theory of evolution erroneous
and says evolution is falsely portrayed in the textbooks.
Louis Jacobs, a paleontology professor at Southern Methodist University in Dallas,
says that poking holes in evolutionary theory is merely a thinly veiled attempt
to interject fundamentalist religion into schools. “First there was an
attempt to ban evolution,” Jacobs says. “Then there was an attempt
to instigate equal time for ‘creation science,’ and now there is ‘intelligent
design.’”
Samantha Smoot, executive director of the Texas Freedom Network (a nonprofit,
nonpartisan alliance of more than 7,500 religious and community leaders), who
attended the hearing, told the Associated Press that intelligent design is biblical
“creationism dressed up in a laboratory coat.” Evolution supporters
fear that the Texas board will use the DI analysis to influence publishers to
include references to intelligent design as scientific theory.
But DI, which denies any affiliation with religious organizations, states that
its support for intelligent design is not related to its position on teaching
evolution — that students should learn about evolution, but should also
learn the controversies and weaknesses of the theory.
Some evolution supporters are quick to point out that several DI fellows and
donors are noted members of the Christian right, including fellow Raymond Bohlin
who serves as director of communications for Probe Ministries. Bohlin represented
DI at the public hearing.
Critics also say that the DI analysis fails to offer a solution, other than
the removal of evolution entirely or the teaching of “evidence against”
evolution. “If it is an educational issue, improve education,” Jacobs
says, by teaching geology in high school, for example.
Geologist Edward Roy of Trinity University in San Antonio has spearheaded the
effort to include earth science in the curriculum of Texas high schools. He
and other geoscientists believe learning earth science is critical to the intellectual
development of students (Geotimes, September 2002).
In May, the Texas House of Representatives passed legislation giving the state
board the authority to reject textbooks for any reason, overruling its own law
that the board could only reject textbooks for factual errors or for not meeting
the state’s curriculum requirements. The state Senate Committee on Education
is currently considering the bill, which has not yet reached the floor for a
vote. If passed, the bill will make it easier for the board to reject textbooks
over issues such as evolution. Regardless of the outcome, the board can decide
in November to allow weaknesses of evolution or intelligent design into the
textbooks, but it cannot wipe evolution entirely out of the curriculum.
Board members said at the meeting, which reportedly had about 200 attendees,
that they would try to keep open minds and consider all options. The board is
now sifting through arguments before its next public meeting on Sept. 10. In
the meantime, publishers, watchdog groups, scientists, teachers and students
are awaiting the final vote in November.
“I do not know how the decision of the Texas school board will turn out,”
Jacobs says. But “if the science of evolution overcomes anti-evolution
forces in this textbook struggle, the same conflict will arise the next time
textbooks are evaluated.”
Megan Sever
Link:
Earth
Science in Texas: A Progress Report, Geotimes, September 2002
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