Evolution Survives Standards Hearings

Jam-packed hearings on what kids graduating from high school in Idaho should know wrapped up Wednesday without any direct attack on teaching evolution.

That’s been the target of most opponents of the new, detailed standards. But many of the more than 100 citizens who overflowed the state Capitol’s Gold Room for the hearings supported the standards. And critics focused on other objections, from costs to issues of local control.

“These standards have been a long time coming and will be useful to teachers,” said Kevin Collins, a biology teacher from Sandpoint. “But standards imply that there will be evaluation. We need to be sure that we do not doom students to systemic failure.”

Much of the testimony came from backers of the standards, who said public school science classes shouldn’t substitute religious concepts for science.

“Evolution is silent on origin and the presence of a creator because creationism does not fall into the brackets of science,” said Denny Clark, professor of philosophy and religion at Albertson College of Idaho. “When the weatherman gives us a forecast without theological commentary, we say they are doing their job … and that’s what we should say about a biology teacher who talks about evolution within scientific constraints.”

Volunteers from around the state who worked on the standards found themselves having to defend their decision to proceed with other standards first.

“I want to stress that this is not the do all end all of education,” said Larry Andrews, who was a commissioner on the board that developed the standards. He said that humanities would be included in the future.

Sam Bird of the Council on Hispanic Education pointed out that there were no standards for foreign language. “When you get a kid who speaks another language you say, `Uh-oh you’d better start learning English,’ and then a few years later we say, `If you want to go to college maybe you’d better learn another language,”’ Bird said. “We’re missing a good opportunity by not including a second language at an early age.”

Another fear expressed by those testifying was loss of local control. “After looking at the proposal I’m not sure we should hand local control over to the state,” Craig Muchou said. “I’m asking that you slow down and allow more input before approval is given to these standards.”

Supporters of the standards said that fear was unfounded.

“ These standards will actually free local districts from the required 25 credit hours,” said Dr. Tom Bitterwolf, a professor at the University of Idaho. “It will allow for senior projects and dual enrollment. It gives districts the freedom to decide what is the best way to get knowledge into students’ heads.”

Now that the public hearings are over, the House and Senate Education committees will debate separately on the standards. If both committee reject the standards, they fail. But if either supports them, they stand.

“We will decide by Friday,” said Rep. Wayne Meyer, R-Rathdrum, who will chair the House committee. “I was surprised by the turnout of the hearings, and after hearing the religious people say they don’t want creationism in schools, I’m leaning toward the standards approval.”

Still to come is the debate over tests designed to see if kids meet the standards. While the state Board of Education and state schools Superintendent Marilyn Howard are backing 11th-grade testing, Gov. Dirk Kempthorne has recommended only half the requested funding and has raised questions about how to test.