Dear friends and supporters,

The State Board of Education began discussing our state’s science curriculum standards in November. We listened to over 90 testifiers, and the vast majority supported teaching all of evolutionary theory as fact with no reference to its scientific weaknesses.

The current requirement states that students are expected to "analyze, review, and critique scientific explanations, including hypotheses and theories, as to their strengths and weaknesses using scientific evidence and information." This is a good standard that has served our teachers and students well for many years.

It is critical that conservatives share their thoughts on how science is taught in our state. You may e-mail the Board through the TEA website. Another option is to testify before the Board. The next date is January 21 from 8:00 A.M.-noon. Please sign up by calling TEA early on Friday, January 16. The number is 512-463-9007.

Thank you for taking the time to read the following article I wrote about this important issue. God bless you and your family with a joyous holiday season!

Raising a Generation of Thinkers
This is an exciting time for science education in Texas. In fact, how we teach science to our students is garnering attention in the national spotlight. Why all the hype? Is it because we are revising state curriculum standards that are over ten years old? Is it because we are clarifying fuzzy standards? Is it because we are strengthening science teaching in K-12 classrooms, ensuring students of academic rigor and quality? No! The hype is focused on how evolution is taught to our students. More specifically, attention is riveted on the idea of universal common ancestry.

Proponents of Darwinian evolution say that the theory has no weaknesses. However 700+ reputable scientists who have signed “A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism” question major tenets of evolution. They state, “Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged.” In The Origin of Species, Darwin himself wrote, “A fair result can be obtained only by fully stating and balancing the facts and arguments on both sides of each question.”

The debate about whether to teach evolution’s scientific strengths and weaknesses presents an incredible opportunity for good science instruction that will develop great thinkers. Having taught biology for many years, I assure you that high school students are smart, savvy, and curious. A sound teaching strategy is to allow them to discuss multiple aspects of controversial subjects. For example, when evidence for universal common ancestry in the fossil record is taught (i.e. scientific strength), then the contradictory evidence showing the huge gaps of missing transitional fossils in the record must also be presented (i.e. scientific weakness). We must educate our students -- not indoctrinate them by letting them hear only one side of an issue.

Presently, Texas’ science standards contain key process skills like analyzing, comparing, gathering information, and drawing conclusions. Students should practice these skills at each grade level, but too often the tendency is to teach rote memorization of accepted facts. Instead, teachers must encourage independent thinking. By applying the scientific process, students will be challenged to think “outside the box” and form their own conclusions about topics like common ancestry. Evolution proponents should not mind if students ask questions; after all, if evolution is the best explanation, then the data should only point to its validity.

Science is full of mystery and constant discovery. Headlines such as cloning, DNA testing, and gene mapping are prolific. Science classrooms are the perfect place to brainstorm about current science events! With that in mind, how can teachers pick and choose which scientific evidence to teach or ignore? Teaching students to believe that evolution indisputably holds the answers to life’s big questions undermines the very essence of scientific inquiry. Many students will ask about the weaknesses of evolution anyway. Teachers must be prepared to help students examine all of the data, whether it supports evolutionary theory or not.

Texas has a golden opportunity to take the lead in improving K-12 science education as we update and strengthen curriculum standards in every class from kindergarten to high school physics. Think, ask, predict, explore, discover! That is what we want our children to do. Science should be open to close scrutiny and debate no matter where the evidence leads. Only then can we hope to equip our students to be a generation of great thinkers.

Barbara Cargill
Texas State Board of Education
District 8