District Administration - April 2006 - (Page 12)

Letters The Great Debate scientifically solid, despite science teacher organiza- A f ter reading The Great tions' vigorous arguments Debate March, p. 75 , to the contrary. Competent which is an excellent article, history teachers normally I am struck by some com- make this kind of informa- ment s made by Nick Matzke. tion about their subject read- He claims the Constitu- ily available to their students. tion prohibits the states from To prohibit science teachers endorsing or promoting a from following their example religious view. This is revi- seems to me an anti-intellec- sionistic thinking. The Con- tual, unprofessional restriction stitution actually prohibits on their academic freedom. the federal government from estab- topics online, and bring them to the lishing a religion or prohibiting the Patrick Groff classrooms. It is not wrong to tap into free exercise by the people. The state Professor of Education Emeritus the ideas of ID scientists Yes, there are governments should be free therefore San Diego State University many , and bring all relevant points to to frame their responses to this debate More on The World is Flat the table. It is amazing to me how often without federal interference, since the I was relieved to read your Speak- evolution proponents seem as fanati- states are actually the people referred i ng Out piece Reading Fads, cized as religious people sometimes to in the first amendment. December 2005, p. 77 in DISTRICT are. Since humans were not around Matzke also claims that evolution ADMINISTRATION. I thought I was at the origin of life, perhaps evolution is indisputable, which is a patently the only one who didn't see any itself is a kind of religious belief knowl- false claim since there is a vigorous point in the book you discussed. edge without observation . debate within the serious biological I went into a local bookstore to and mathematical scientific commu- Mike Werner look through The World is Flat and n it ies in regard to the inefficacy of Principal, O.H. Schultz decide whether to purchase it or evolution theory to account for the Elementary School not since it had been mentioned at extreme complexity of living cells. Mishicot Wisc. School District every meeting I attended over the The fossil record has no account- last month. I frankly could not fi nd I think the most rational remark ing for such complexity, as it suddenly anything in it that even resembled reported in March 2006 article, The appears with no prior development in new or interesting information. I am Great Debate, is that the theory of evidence. The debate among scientists sure that many will write to repri- evolution is indisputable. is being framed as evolution against ma nd you for your totally negative Nonet heless, defenses of evolution itself, which is where public schools review but frankly I think you were suffer the weaknesses of historical should take instruction. Too many right on. By the way I decided not writings in general. That is to say, times, schools operate with evolu- to purchase the book. several generalizations about evolu- tion instruction that is obsolete and t ion are deductive, i.e., they cannot ignores the most current information. John S. Boccuzzi be proved experimentally. Rather than adopt such a dogmatic Assistant Superintendent of Schools It therefore is obvious that not all view of evolution, we should be urging New Fairfield Conn. the various claims about evolution are students to research current debate Public School District 12 April 2006 District Administration letters.w.indd 12 3/20/06 12:09:56 PM http://www.districtadministration.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of District Administration - April 2006

Contents
Editor's Letter
Letters
Update
Inside the Law
Curriculum Update
Administrator Profile
District Profile
Measuring Value
Budget Talk
Underfunded
Are Your Schools Competitive?
Back from the Brink
Rigorous Expectations
Getting Connected
How to Get Your Bond Passed
The Online Edge/Odvard Egil Dyrli
Speaking Out/Gary Stager
Research Corner
Problem/Solution
Leadership Books
New Products
By the Numbers

District Administration - April 2006