Florida: Final Public Meeting Underway, Part 4

Dr. Robert Gentry. Famous YEC. Evolution is disproved! McLean witness. Didn’t respond to my evidence! People don’t respond to me or come to my events! I want a debate on prime-time television!

18-2.

Robert Aikinson. Frightened by effort to reduce science to majority vote. Let the experts in science decide what is taught to my kids as science.

18-3.

Margaret Ishee. Science teacher. Pressure because of large number of benchmarks in current standards. Teachers have responsibility to teach all sides. Evolution is theory with good points and faults.

19-3.

Florida Family Policy Council rep. 1. Not advocating creationism or ID, but want evolution’s strengths and weaknesses to be taught. Concerned about notice and due process. Meetings not properly announced. Avoided the public and press. 2. Standards are not fairly worded. Philosophically dogmatic! 3. Asking, pleading, and insisting that the board directly hear from the parents in Florida. Want fifteen minutes from both sides to present.

20-3.

Jerry Miesel. Physical science standards framer and writer. Reading letter from framers and writers. Opposition from special interest groups to forthright presentation of evolution. Evolution is the only scientific explanation currently. Claims to the contrary are not correct. Risk that the science-based businesses will snub Florida. Clergy Letter Project cited and statement read. [Woman in audience shaking her head… she doesn’t like it. –WRE] Approve the standards as delivered.

20-4.

Debra Walker. School board member, UMC member. My God is not small enough to be challenged by scientific advance. Writing the standards, we drew on exceptional resources. Inadequate K-12 education means biology students are learning high-school concepts in upper division. The boards passing negative resolutions have students at the bottom of performance. [Thank you, Debra! –WRE]

20-5.