If It’s Okay for Kansas, Is it Okay for OK?

By now we all know what really happened in the science classes in Kansas, right? Now, Oklahoma has joined the fray! In fact, the state’s governor, Frank Keating, has said that all views of how man got here should be discussed [in public schools].

According to news reports (which may or may not be accurate), the Oklahoma State Textbook Committee voted to require that a disclaimer be placed about evolution in the state’s biology textbooks. The committee’s action will require publishers to insert the disclaimer at the front of their texts before that book can be sold in Oklahoma.

The disclaimer states that evolution can refer to the “unproven belief that random, undirected forces produced in a world of living things.” It adds: “Study hard and keep an open mind. Someday you may contribute to the theories of how living things appeared on Earth.”

This week, Tulsa (OK) will play the host to the National Science Teachers Association conference. Many of the proposed topics include how to handle the evolution/creation controversy. In fact, one of the keynote addresses will be given by Eugenie Scott (National Center for Science Education, an anti-creationist group) who will lead the charge for the evolutionists. Her topic: “Can’s (sic), Can’ts, should’s (sic) and shouldn’ts: Teaching Evolution.”

AIG will keep you up-to-date on how many of the nation’s science teachers are going to approach this controversy over origins.