Madison County school district doesn’t post agendas or minutes to their website that I could find. However, a commenter at Scott Hatfield’s Monkey Trials blog was kind enough to inform everyone that Madison County did actually pass an anti-evolution resolution recently. Sure enough, the local newspaper, the Madison County Carrier says the following (full story copied here because it doesn’t look like the paper archives the stories online once the new edition is published).
Textbook Teaches Evolution As FACT, Not Theory
By Michael Curtis
Greene Publishing, Inc.The following statements are taken from the Resolution unanimously adopted by the Madison County School Board during their meeting on January 14. It is directed to the Sunshine State Standards for Science.
RESOLUTION
Whereas, the Florida Department of Education has drafted and is now proposing new Sunshine State Standards for Science, the Madison County School Board opposes the implementation of the new standards as currently presented.Whereas, the new Sunshine State Standards for Science no longer present evolution as theory but as “the fundamental concept underlying all of biology and is supported in multiple forms of scientific evidence,†we are requesting that the State Board of Education direct the Florida Department of Education to revise/edit the new Sunshine State Standards for Science so that evolution is presented as one of several theories as to how the universe was formed.
Whereas, the Madison County School Board recognizes the importance of providing a thorough and comprehensive Science education to all the students in Madison County and to all students in the state of Florida, it recognizes as even more important the need to present these standards through a fair and balanced approach, an approach that does not unfairly exclude other theories as to the creation of the universe.
NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Madison County School Board, Madison, Florida, that the Board urges the State Board of Education to direct the Florida Department of Education to revise the new Sunshine State Standards for Science such that evolution is not presented as fact, but as one of several theories.
According to the State Department of Education, Executive Director Mary Jane Tappan of the Office of Math and Science facilitated two December and two January meetings to get public comment on the changes. Unfortunately, most missed the initial invitation because the announcement and advertisement of the meetings, which were held in Tallahassee, Orlando, Jacksonville and Miramar, was limited to the Florida Administrative Weekly, an online publication virtually unknown to the public that is used mostly for legal notification of pending governmental actions.
Following the first two meetings, accusations were levied that the DOE was attempting to sneak this very controversial issue by the public by limiting the announcement, so prior to the last two meetings the DOE put advertisements in the Jacksonville and Ft. Lauderdale papers. There was no specific mention of the new introduction or definition regarding evolution; so many are now scrambling to have their voices heard on the issue since the changes are not yet official.
The State Board of Education still has to approve the changes, which will be included in their meeting on February 19, location and time to be announced two weeks prior. Historically, Board Chairman T. Willard Fair has allowed public input, although policy does not require it. For those wishing to be heard, State School Board Member contact information is available at www.fldoe.org/board and the Florida Department of Education phone number is (850) 245-0505. Staff writer Michael Curtis can be reached at michael@greenepublishing.com.
Gotta love how the writer made no attempt to be impartial here. No real reporting needed in Madison County, I guess.
By my count, that makes eight confirmed anti-evolution resolutions passed, and one pending. Read through our list to make sure my count is right.
Wow, another one that actually refers to evolution as one of the theories addressing the origin of the universe.
You’d think that at least one of their supporters who claim to be scientists would have nipped that in the bud. It’s really hard to take them seriously when they incorporate nonsense like that.
Has anyone asked them “What other theories?”
Creationists have learned by what has happened in the Northeast that positing ID as the alternate “theory” completely ruins their credibility. So, now they attempt to appear “agnostic”. They will claim that they want to support other theories, but naming these alternate theories would get them laughed out of this state like they have been laughed out of so many already.
These Creationist school boards are getting sneakier, it seems. Jackson County’s school board did something similar, sneaking their resolution onto an agenda without prior scheduling and so cutting off public comment. The meeting minutes on their website hasn’t been updated for a month, and the site provides no way to specifically contact the board members. Lots of opacity there, perhaps to go along with the generally thick skulls at work.
My “favorite” quote from the Jackson Creationists, by the way:
“What we were saying is that evolution is a theory, and a theory is an educated guess. ” (Chris Johnson, District 4).
Why is someone so ignorant of the basics of science deemed a suitable person to discuss science education standards by anyone at all? He shouldn’t even be allowed in the room when such things are under consideration! I suspect, however, that such a rule would leave the county’s meetings as little more than empty rooms.
It’s completely ridiculous that BOE members don’t even know the difference between facts and theories. It is really sad that Florida is so backward.
It should be patently obvious by now, that the only people who should be on board of education are teachers. These muckety mucks won’t be happy until we’ve dumbed down the educational system so that cave dwellers will appear smart.
Hey Florida Citizens for Science! Scott Hatfield here! I greatly appreciate the work you are doing and am happy to help. Feel free to link my post with the Florida county map, as I will keep the map updated as things develop:
http://monkeytrials.blogspot.com/2008/01/sunshine-state-is-in-process-of.html
And anyone else reading this post, make sure you link to the FCS post here which keeps us updated on the situation county-by-county:
https://www.flascience.org/wp/?p=352
If you ignore the law because of Christian beliefs of being “a person of faith,” you are guilty of religious discrimination against Jews, Muslims, Buddhists and even atheists. This is a federal crime. Start enforcing the law and lock up a few of these morons. Board members do not have the right or the power to force Christian beliefs down the throats of others.