Educational deja vu
In 1999, the board eliminated most references to evolution. Harvard paleontologist Stephen Jay Gould said that was akin to teaching “American history without Lincoln.” Bill Nye, the “Science Guy” of children’s television, called it “harebrained” and “nutty.” And a Washington Post columnist imagined God saying to the Kansas board members: “Man, I gave you a brain. Use it, OK?”

Two years later, after voters replaced three members, the board reverted to evolution-friendly standards. Elections in 2002 and 2004 changed the board’s composition again, making it more conservative.

The latest vote likely to bring fresh national criticism to Kansas and cause many scientists to see the state as backward.

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Many scientists and other critics contend creationists repackaged old ideas in new, scientific-sounding language to get around a U.S. Supreme Court decision in 1987 against teaching the biblical story of creation in public schools.

The Kansas board’s action is part of a national debate. In Pennsylvania, a judge is expected to rule soon in a lawsuit against the Dover school board’s policy of requiring high school students to learn about intelligent design in biology class. In August, President Bush endorsed teaching intelligent design alongside evolution.

In an effort to fight back against intelligent-design advocates, a grass-roots group calling itself Campaign to Defend the Constitution said Tuesday that it was launching a $200,000 online ad campaign “to combat a threat posed by the religious right to American democracy.”

“This is a significant attack on science,” said Jack Krebs, vice president of Kansas Citizens for Science. “They really are advancing a sectarian religious view. They’re treading on constitutional grounds.”

KANSAS CONTROVERSY
A history of the state education board's votes on evolution
1999: In May, Kansas Board of Education reviews proposed science standards written by committee of educators. A Republican board member offers his own proposal, drafted with help from others, including the president of the Creation Science Association for Mid-America. In August, the board votes 6-4 to adopt science standards in which most references to evolution are eliminated.
2000: Voters elect three Republicans who support the teaching of evolution to replace three of the Republican school board members who voted with the anti-evolution majority the year before.
2001: With power now in the hands of a coalition of Democrats and moderate Republicans, the board votes 7-3 for new science standards restoring evolution's previous place in the standards as well-founded science.
2002: Voters elect two conservative Republicans to replace GOP incumbents who had favored a return to evolution-friendly standards, splitting the board 5-5.
2004: Another conservative Republican ousts a GOP incumbent in the primary, giving conservative Republicans a 6-4 majority on the board.
May 5, 2005: Three-member subcommittee opens four days of hearings on evolution, hearing testimony from intelligent design advocates. National and state science groups boycott, saying the hearings are rigged.
June 9, 2005: Subcommittee approves proposed standards containing language sought by intelligent design advocates.
July 12, 2005: Board's conservative majority continues to revise the proposed science standards, before having an outside review.
Oct. 13, 2005: Outside reviewer, the Mid-Continent Research for Education and Learning in Aurora, Colo., releases a report critical of the proposed standards.
Nov. 8, 2005: Board votes 6-4 to approve the proposed standards.

This report includes information from The Associated Press and Reuters.

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