NCSE Evolution and Climate Education Update for 2015/03/06
Submitted by Peter Burns on Fri, 2015-03-06 18:58.
National Center for Science Education
(by NCSE Deputy Director Glenn Branch)
Dear friends of NCSE, The NGSS have been unblocked in Wyoming, but a bill in Iowa would block the NGSS in part over evolution and climate change. It's not too late to reserve a seat on NCSE's July 2015 excursion to the Grand Canyon. And Oklahoma's antiscience bill is dead.
NGSS UNBLOCKED IN WYOMING Governor Matt Mead signed House Bill 23 into law on March 2, 2015, according to the Associated Press (March 2, 2015), so Wyoming is now free to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards. The bill repeals a footnote in the state budget for 2014-2016 that precluded the use of state funds for "any review or adoption" of the NGSS. The treatment of climate change was cited as the reason for the footnote. The blockage of the NGSS was widely condemned by the state's scientists, educators, and newspapers, and the state board of education declined to develop a new set of science standards independent of the NGSS. Whether the NGSS will in fact be adopted by Wyoming is up to the state board of education, since the bill directs the board to "independently examine and scrutinize any science standards proposed or reviewed as a template." So far the NGSS have been adopted in thirteen states -- California, Delaware, Kansas, Kentucky, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, New Jersey, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and West Virginia -- plus the District of Columbia. For the Associated Press story (via KULR 8), visit: http://www.kulr8.com/story/28243776/developments-at-the-wyoming-legislature And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in Wyoming, visit: http://ncse.com/news/wyoming ANTI-NGSS BILL IN IOWA House File 272, introduced in the Iowa House of Representatives on February 17, 2015, and referred to the House Committee on Education, would, if enacted, prevent Iowa from adopting the Next Generation Science Standards -- and part of the stated reason is the NGSS's treatment of evolution and climate change. According to the Cedar Rapids Gazette (March 2, 2015), the bill's lead sponsor Sandy Salmon (R-District 63) objects to the fact that the standards were not written in Iowa, but is also "concerned that the standards miss some key math and science concepts, present evolution as scientific fact[,] and shine a negative light on human impacts on climate change." Also sponsoring HF 272 are Dean Fisher (R-District 72), John H. Wills (R-District 1), Greg Heartsill (R-District 28), Steven Holt (R-District 18), Larry Sheets (R-District 80), Ralph C. Watts (R-District 19), and John Landon (R-District 37). But Salmon told the Gazette that the bill was stalled in a subcommittee and that she did not expect it to emerge. A lead state partner in the development of the NGSS, Iowa is currently considering whether to adopt the standards. A review team is expected to consider input from four public forums and a public on-line survey in March 2015 and to make a recommendation to the state board of education, which will decide whether to adopt the NGSS. For Iowa's House File 272, visit: http://coolice.legis.iowa.gov/Legislation/86thGA/Bills/HouseFiles/Introduced/HF272.html For the story in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, visit: http://thegazette.com/subject/news/educators-step-lightly-around-political-points-as-state-considers-new-science-standard-20150302 And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in Iowa, visit: http://ncse.com/news/iowa NCSE AND THE GRAND CANYON 2015 Explore the Grand Canyon with NCSE! Three seats are still available for NCSE's next excursion to the Grand Canyon -- as featured in the documentary No Dinosaurs in Heaven. From July 2 to July 10, 2015, NCSE will again explore the wonders of creation and evolution on a Grand Canyon river run conducted by NCSE's Steve Newton and Josh Rosenau. Because this is an NCSE trip, we offer more than just the typically grand float down the Canyon, the spectacular scenery, fascinating natural history, brilliant night skies, exciting rapids, delicious meals, and good company. It is, in fact, a unique "two-model" raft trip, on which we provide both the creationist view of the Grand Canyon (maybe not entirely seriously) and the evolutionist view -- and let you make up your own mind. To get a glimpse of the fun, watch the short videos filmed in 2011, posted on NCSE's YouTube channel, and explore photographs by last year's rafters in the 2014 expedition's Flickr group. The cost of the excursion is $2760; a deposit of $500 will hold your spot. Seats are limited: call, write, or e-mail now. For information about the excursion, visit: http://ncse.com/about/excursions/gcfaq For information about No Dinosaurs in Heaven, visit: http://www.nodinos.com/ For the videos and photographs, visit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ll7kG8dPfgM&list=UUXlZRCBefkIvRuv5zUrXEdg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSfTH9Gl2CM&list=UUXlZRCBefkIvRuv5zUrXEdg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KD4xmkEbgqk&list=UUXlZRCBefkIvRuv5zUrXEdg https://secure.flickr.com/groups/ncse-grand-canyon-2014/ ANTISCIENCE BILL DIES IN OKLAHOMA Oklahoma's Senate Bill 665, which would, if enacted, have deprived administrators of the ability to prevent teachers from miseducating students about "scientific controversies," died in the Senate Education Committee on February 26, 2015, when a deadline for senate bills to pass committee expired. Of the five antiscience bills introduced in 2015, only Missouri's House Bill 486 is still alive. The sole sponsor of Oklahoma's SB 665 was Josh Brecheen (R-District 6), who introduced similar legislation in three previous legislative sessions. Brecheen's SB 1765 in 2014 -- virtually identical to SB 665 in 2015 -- was opposed by the National Association of Biology Teachers and the American Institute of Biological Sciences, as well as by the grassroots Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education. For Oklahoma's Senate Bill 665 (PDF), visit: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2015-16%20INT/SB/SB665%20INT.PDF For the statements about SB 1765 from NABT (PDF) and AIBS, visit: http://ncse.com/files/NABT-Letter-SB-1765.pdf http://www.aibs.org/position-statements/20140210_ok_science_ed_act.html For Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education, visit: http://www.oklascience.org/ And for NCSE's previous coverage of events in Oklahoma, visit: http://ncse.com/news/oklahoma 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: * Eugenie C. Scott reflecting on the death of Eugenie Clark: http://ncse.com/blog/2015/03/sightings-eugenie-clark-0016208 * Stephanie Keep discussing the misconception that evolution inexorably produces increasing complexity: http://ncse.com/blog/2015/03/misconception-monday-explaining-evolutionary-trends-it-s-not-0016210 * Ann Reid interviewing Jim Krupa about a teacher who aroused his interest in biology: http://ncse.com/blog/2015/03/thank-teacher-thursday-legacy-passion-teaching-0016214 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 Subscribe to NCSE's free weekly e-newsletter: http://groups.google.com/group/ncse-news NCSE is on Facebook, YouTube, and Twitter: http://www.facebook.com/evolution.ncse http://www.youtube.com/NatCen4ScienceEd http://twitter.com/ncse NCSE's work is supported by its members. Join today! http://ncse.com/join
» 3866 reads
