by Lee Allison,

Director and State Geologist

KGS has responsibility to advise government bodies and officials on science matters and to provide scientific advice on other issues.

Kansas kids deserve to be taught good science. The school science standards approved by the state Board of Education in August 1999, redefine science to allow pseudo-science and supernatural phenomena to be presented in place of good science.

On this basis, the KGS is taking high-profile positions on the state school science standards. KGS has responsibility to advise government bodies and officials on science matters and to provide scientific advice on other issues. In this case, our advice is that schools should teach about evolution, the age of the earth, and the origin of the universe as part of the science curriculum.

To that end, I testified in front of the State Board the day before their decision. Subsequently, we sent letters to each of the 304 school superintendents in Kansas, advising them to continue teaching about evolution in their classrooms and offering our assistance in answering questions about their course of action. We included copies of the recent National Academy of Sciences 35-page booklet, “Science and Creationism,” as well as a list of references and web sites for more information. Dr. Bruce Alberts, president of NAS, is vitally concerned about science education and graciously arranged donation of the booklets for us to distribute.

In October, I spoke about the State Board decision at two well-attended panel discussions at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America. In December, I presented a talk at a special symposium about the assault on evolution at the annual meeting of the American Geophysical Union. As at the GSA meeting, it was standing room only, with many people turned away for lack of space.

A number of professional groups and science magazines are preparing reports or analyses of what happened in Kansas and why. Some are gathering and providing information to help prepare scientists to respond to anti-evolution and anti-science rhetoric. Some are focusing on improving scientific literacy among the public. Kansas Citizens for Science (www.kcfs.org) is a non-partisan group formed specifically in response to the State Board actions.

The issue is expected to be an emotional one for the remainder of the year, with political and religious overtones. The KGS position is simple: we will work to ensure that Kansas school children get the best science education possible.