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9-28-99 Hello, my name is Nancy Turner... I am joined with some other district parents and community members tonight who share my concern regarding how evolution is taught in our children’s classrooms. I have joined the steering committee of Parents for Objective Science and History and am here tonight to help update the Board regarding our efforts. This summer POSH worked on two different 410.4 forms. The first form will be submitted this week. It deals with the incident of teaching the evolution of dinosaurs over millions of years as a fact to kindergarteners. According to the National Science Standards, POSH has found this material to be age- inappropriate. The incident and the related National Science Standards can be read in accordance to the form 410.4. Copies will be sent to the following people: Dr. Nettie Collins-Hart Dr. Kathleen Williams James Hilliard, Board Chair and Linda Allen Science Coordinator The second form is near completion and involves a review of the H.S. text Biology, which every student in the district must use. We hope to submit the form and review within the next couple of months. State Standards in KS have drawn much national attention lately. You may wonder if POSH has taken any different direction in a policy request. The answer is "No." We continue to agree with the Board that the idea of evolution should be taught in our schools. However, we again, only take issue that evolution is taught as a fact in district 497, with no ideas or science differing from the theory allowed or encouraged. We ask that evolution be taught as a theory and objectively-- meaning that evolution’s weaknesses are not censored, but also discovered in the science classroom. Thank you for considering our concerns. We as parents desire the best for our students, as we are sure you do as well.
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