The Board of Education in Rio Rancho, New Mexico has overturned a policy that had been criticized as providing an open door to the teaching of Creationism and/or Intelligent Design in local science classrooms.
The policy was rescinded on a 3-2 vote. Several of those speaking out at the meeting were Rio Rancho High School teachers who were opposed to teaching Creationism or Intelligent Design in their classrooms.
As a science teacher, I must say that it is a shame that educators have to devote any of their time and energy to defending science education from those whose ultimate concerns lie outside of science. When I consider all of the efforts of the antievolution movement to date, I cannot think of one positive effect they have had on the teaching and learning of science in US public schools.
Actually, that's not entirely true. Though definitely unintended, they have motivated me and many of my colleagues to learn more about evolution so that we can more effectively convey to our students why it is so overwhelmingly accepted as a useful scientific theory.
For more on the decision in Rio Rancho, see this article.
posted by Jeremy Mohn
