When
recently interviewed by the Associated Press, Dick DeVos, Republican candidate for Michigan governor, said he would like to see intelligent design taught alongside evolution in science classes.
"I would like to see the ideas of intelligent design -- that many scientists are now suggesting is a very viable alternative theory -- that that theory and others that would be considered credible would expose our students to more ideas, not less.
This, of course, is the soft-sell version of getting ID into classrooms by saying you're doing the kids a benefit by giving them yet one more variable to look at. Lest we forget we're talking about science class.
The State Board of Education last week postponed adopting new science curriculum guidelines until state lawmakers get more time to weigh in on what the state's public schools science curriculum should be and how it should approach the teaching of evolution.
As quoted from an editorial in the Detroit Free Press:
This is just another attempt to keep a door open to teaching creationism or intelligent design. The board should have closed it, as science teachers requested. Board members get elected to make decisions, not to defer to political pressure.
The delay was requested by the chairs of the House and Senate Education Committees to accommodate Republican state Reps. Jack Hoogendyk of Kalamazoo and John Moolenaar of Midland, who want a key wording change inserted into the policy. As it stands, the policy directs that teachers demonstrate how fossil records, comparative anatomy and other evidence "may" corroborate the theory of evolution. Hoogendyk and Moolenaar are pushing to have the words read "may or may not."
As you may guess, the effects of having a Republican led legislature is been felt in many areas, education one of them. They know they can't go directly out there and lay down full-fledged right wing ideals on an otherwise blue state, so they are chipping at the laws and regulations to open the door to slide them in later.
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Wiki information on Intelligent Design