The Florida State Board of Education will vote next week on whether to adopt revised science standards that specifically describe evolution as "the fundamental concept underlying all biology."
If approved, the revised standards would replace the current standards that do not mention evolution by name, instead offering up the classic tap-dance known as "biological change through time."
If rejected, the potential ramifications for science education reach far beyond the borders of the Sunshine State.
Brandon Keim of wired.com has written an article that emphasizes the importance of the upcoming vote.
In the article, Lawrence Lerner of the Thomas B. Fordham Institute explains why all of this matters to non-Floridians:
"Texas buys about 10 percent of all K-12 textbooks, and Florida buys another 8 percent. If they want creationism in their textbooks, Wyoming may not have a choice."
Will the Florida BOE stand up for REAL science or will it be Dover all over again?
posted by Jeremy Mohn
