Kansas joins national science standard team
This is a chance for Kansas to redeem their reputation in science and technology after the 2005 debacle of the state school board creating inroads for Intelligent Design in classrooms. Luckily the voters threw that school board out by electing moderates, but… we do have a very fundamentalist governor, Sam Brownback. He was the only governor who joined the Rick Perry hate group prayerathon in Houston recently. I sincerely hope that the board picks our representative(s) for the textbook committee and not the governor.
Kansas has been named one of 20 lead states to help write academic science standards that could be used as a national model for public schools and will include requirements for teaching evolution, project leaders announced Tuesday.
The state-led collaboration was assembled by the National Research Council, part of the National Academy of Sciences, and a nonprofit education reform organization called Achieve. The effort is similar to one developed through the National Governors Association that led to the so-called common core standards in English and mathematics that were adopted by a majority of states, including Kansas.
“Kansas will have an increased opportunity to have its voice heard as these standards come together and will reap the benefits of collaboration with other states,” state Education Commissioner Diane DeBacker said.
States have used standards developed by the National Research Council and the American Academy for the Advancement of Science to create their state standards. The new effort attempts to coordinate what is taught across states to improve science education nationally.
It also will allow Kansas, only a few years removed from a heated public fight over the teaching of evolution in public schools, the chance to establish itself as a leader in science curriculum. The State Board of Education approved the department’s application to be part of the national discussion.