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NCSE Evolution and Climate Education Update for 2015/01/16

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(by NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch)

Dear friends of NCSE,

Antievolution legislation in Missouri. News and more news from West
Virginia. And a word about Darwin Day!

ANTIEVOLUTION LEGISLATION IN MISSOURI

Missouri's House Bill 486, introduced in the Missouri House of
Representatives on January 13, 2015, would confer "academic freedom to
teach scientific evidence regarding evolution" to teachers. If
enacted, the bill would in effect encourage science teachers with
idiosyncratic opinions to teach anything they pleased, and discourage
responsible educational authorities from intervening. The bill
specifically cites "the theory of biological and hypotheses of
chemical evolution" as controversial.

HB 486 would require state and local educational authorities to
"assist teachers to find more effective ways to present the science
curriculum where it addresses scientific controversies and permit
teachers "to help students understand, analyze, critique, and review
in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific
weaknesses of the theory of biological and hypotheses of chemical
evolution"; it would prevent such authorities from "prohibit[ing] any
teacher in a public school system of this state from helping students
understand, analyze, critique, and review in an objective manner the
scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of biological or
chemical evolution whenever these subjects are taught." A further
section of HB 486 attempts to immunize it against constitutional
scrutiny, insisting that the bill "shall not be construed to promote
any theistic or nontheistic religious doctrine, promote discrimination
for or against a particular set of theistic or nontheistic religious
beliefs, or promote discrimination for or against theistic or
nontheistic religion."

The sponsor of HB 486 is Andrew Koenig (R-District 99); he is
currently the only sponsor of the bill. Koenig was the sponsor of a
string of similar bills: HB 1587 in 2014, HB 179 in 2013, HB 1276 in
2012, and HB 195 in 2011. All failed. Koenig was also a cosponsor of a
series of bills that would have required equal time for "intelligent
design" in Missouri's public schools, including introductory courses
at colleges and universities: HB 1472 in 2012, HB 291 in 2013, and HB
1227 in 2012. All failed.

For the text of Missouri's House Bill 486 as introduced (PDF), visit:
http://www.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills151/billpdf/intro/HB0486I.PDF 

And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in Missouri, visit:
http://ncse.com/news/missouri 

PROGRESS IN WEST VIRGINIA

"The West Virginia Board of Education voted Wednesday to withdraw
changes proposed to the state's science education standards," reports
the Charleston Gazette (January 14, 2015). Following a recommendation
from the state department of education, the board agreed to revert to
the original version of the sections addressing climate science. After
a public comment period, the board is expected have a final vote in
March 2015.

As NCSE previously reported, before the Next Generation Science
Standards were offered for public comment in the state, Wade Linger, a
member of the state board of education, asked for changes to downplay
the scientific consensus on climate change. The compromised standards
were then adopted in December 2014. Linger later told the Charleston
Gazette (December 28, 2014), "We're on this global warming binge going
on here."

Condemnation of the changes came from NCSE -- whose Mark McCaffrey
contributed a column to the Charleston Gazette (January 4, 2015)
charging that "the board's revisions to the standards undermine the
quality of West Virginia's public education system" -- as well as from
the West Virginia Science Teachers Association, faculty at West
Virginia University, Citizens Climate Lobby, Climate Parents, and the
National Science Teachers Association.

For the stories from the Charleston Gazette, visit:
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150114/GZ01/150119623 
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20141228/GZ01/141229489/1419 

For Mark McCaffrey's column in the Charleston Gazette, visit:
http://www.wvgazette.com/article/20150104/ARTICLE/150109890/1103 

And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in West Virginia, visit:
http://ncse.com/news/west-virginia 

WEST VIRGINIA TO REVISIT SCIENCE STANDARDS

West Virginia's board of education is to reconsider its decision to
undermine the treatment of climate science in its new state science
standards at its January 14, 2015, meeting, according to The New York
Times (January 13, 2015).

As NCSE previously reported, before the Next Generation Science
Standards were offered for public comment in the state, Wade Linger, a
member of the state board of education, asked for changes to downplay
the scientific consensus on climate change. The compromised standards
were then adopted in December 2014.

In a January 8, 2015, statement, the West Virginia Science Teachers
Association complained that the board's unilateral revisions
compromised the scientific integrity of the standards "specifically by
casting doubt on the credibility of the evidence-based climate models
and misrepresentation of trends in science when analyzing graphs
dealing with temperature changes over time."

NCSE's Minda Berbeco told the Times that the board was "changing the
composition of the science to match their own personal views,"
explaining, "That defeats the purpose of having standards developed by
scientific advisory boards." (The NGSS are based on a framework
devised by the National Research Council.)

Amy Hessl, a professor of geography at West Virginia University who
studies climate change, indicated that the board's changes were
misguided, and compared the idea that the board's changes brought
balance to the standards with the idea of "bringing someone into the
classroom who says smoking is actually good for your health."

According to the Times, "the board could decide to go back to the
original language of the curriculum, to do nothing or to drop the new
standards altogether" at its January 14, 2015, meeting. Information
about taking action is available at NCSE's website.

For the story in The New York Times, visit:
http://www.nytimes.com/2015/01/13/us/west-virginia-revisits-science-standards.html 

For the statement from the West Virginia Science Teachers Association, visit:
http://www.wvsta.org/ 

For information about taking action from NCSE, visit:
http://ncse.com/taking-action/stop-climate-change-denial-west-virginia-standards 

And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in West Virginia, visit:
http://ncse.com/news/west-virginia 

DARWIN DAY APPROACHES

It's time to dust off your Darwin costume again: less than a month
remains before Darwin Day 2015! Colleges and universities, schools,
libraries, museums, churches, civic groups, and just plain folks
across the country -- and the world -- are preparing to celebrate
Darwin Day, on or around February 12, in honor of the life and work of
Charles Darwin. These events provide a marvelous opportunity not only
to celebrate Darwin's birthday but also to engage in public outreach
about science, evolution, and the importance of evolution education --
which is especially needed with assaults on evolution education
already under way in state legislatures. NCSE encourages its members
and friends to attend, participate in, and even organize Darwin Day
events in their own communities. To find a local event, check the
websites of local universities and museums and the registry of Darwin
Day events maintained by the Darwin Day Celebration website. (And
don't forget to register your own event with the Darwin Day
Celebration website!)

And with Darwin Day comes the return of Evolution Weekend! Hundreds of
congregations all over the country and around the world are taking
part in Evolution Weekend, February 13-15, 2015, by presenting sermons
and discussion groups on the compatibility of faith and science.
Michael Zimmerman, the initiator of the project, writes, "Evolution
Weekend is an opportunity for serious discussion and reflection on the
relationship between religion and science. One important goal is to
elevate the quality of the discussion on this critical topic -- to
move beyond sound bites. A second critical goal is to demonstrate that
religious people from many faiths and locations understand that
evolution is sound science and poses no problems for their faith.
Finally, as with The Clergy Letter itself, Evolution Weekend makes it
clear that those claiming that people must choose between religion and
science are creating a false dichotomy." At last count, 288
congregations in forty-four states (and nine foreign countries) were
scheduled to hold Evolution Weekend events.

For the Darwin Day registry, visit:
http://darwinday.org/events/ 
http://darwinday.org/events/community/add 

For information about Evolution Weekend, visit:
http://www.evolutionweekend.org/ 

WHAT'S NEW FROM THE SCIENCE LEAGUE OF AMERICA

Have you been visiting NCSE's blog, The Science League of America,
recently? If not, then you've missed:

* Minda Berbeco applauding the decision to rethink the misguided
changes to West Virginia's science standards:
http://ncse.com/blog/2015/01/science-won-west-virginia-0016123 

* Stephanie Keep explaining the difference between weather and climate:
http://ncse.com/blog/2015/01/misconception-monday-whether-weather-climate-0016110 

* Josh Rosenau analyzing the applicants for NCSE's Grand Canyon
scholarship for teachers:
http://ncse.com/blog/2015/01/break-out-grand-canyon-sorting-hat-0016112 

And much more besides!

For The Science League of America, visit:
http://ncse.com/blog 

Thanks for reading. And don't forget to visit NCSE's website --
http://ncse.com -- where you can always find the latest news on 
evolution and climate education and threats to them.

--
Sincerely,

Glenn Branch
Deputy Director
National Center for Science Education, Inc.
420 40th Street, Suite 2
Oakland, CA 94609-2509
510-601-7203 x303
fax: 510-601-7204
800-290-6006
branch@ncse.com 
http://ncse.com 

Check out NCSE's new blog, Science League of America:
http://ncse.com/blog 

Read Reports of the NCSE on-line:
http://reports.ncse.com 

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http://groups.google.com/group/ncse-news 

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http://www.facebook.com/evolution.ncse 
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