Darby, Montana School Board

Revision as of 23:30, 31 October 2005 (view source)

Revision as of 06:41, 1 November 2005 (view source)

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Some 800 people live in Darby, and the Darby High School has some 180 students. In 2004, Darby became a central part of the national struggle in the US against religious incursions into public-school science classrooms.

-

== ~~Events~~ ==

+

== Darby School Board Adopts Anti-Evolution Policy ==

In December 2003, there was a news story in the ''Ravalli Republic'' with this simple announcement{{ref|jj01}}:

Line 41:

</blockquote>

-

The policy change was evidently introduced and tabled as promised, and the Darby Junior High gymnasium was again the meeting place, this time on Wednesday, 21 January, for a presentation by Allan Gishlick of the National Center for Science Education,{{ref|jj03}} ~~as promised by~~ the RCCS. As reported,

+

The policy change was evidently introduced and tabled as promised, and the Darby Junior High gymnasium was again the meeting place, this time on Wednesday, 21 January, for a presentation by Allan Gishlick of the National Center for Science Education,{{ref|jj03}} on behalf of the RCCS. As reported,

-

The policy calls for students to "assess evidence for and against theories," and "to analyze the scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing scientific theories, including the theory of evolution." Although the policy doesn't spell out what other theories would be included in science curriculum and courts have emphatically prohibited the teaching of creationism in public schools, the objective origins curriculum inevitably will include discussions of intelligent design....

+

The policy calls for students to "assess evidence for and against theories," and "to analyze the scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing scientific theories, including the theory of evolution." Although the policy doesn't spell out what other theories would be included in science curriculum and courts have emphatically prohibited the teaching of creationism in public schools, the objective origins curriculum inevitably will include discussions of intelligent design....Darby is the first school district in Montana to take up such a decision, according to Montana School Board Association officials.

</blockquote>

+

Days before 2 February 2004, when the Darby school board was to vote on the "Objective Origins" proposal put forward by Brickly, interest was high and the opinion of the town was divided:{{ref|mm01}}

+

+

The "modest" proposal [of Brickley's] has Darby in a tizzy. The school board took public comment Monday night [26 January 2004] and will reconvene Wednesday at 7 p.m. Intelligent design has been castigated as the work of pseudo-scientists whose primary interest is putting God in the classroom, while evolution has drawn comparisons to "godless communism."

+

+

The middle ground isn't exactly heavily populated.

+

...

+

Part of the debate in Darby is about what exactly will be taught in science class if objective origins is approved. Curtis Brickley has his own ideas, and they do nothing to appease the policy's critics.

+

...

+

Science moves ahead through controversy, in fact, but that controversy is tangible, Christian said. [Don Christian is associate dean of the biological sciences division at the University of Montana.] "Scientific controversy involves scientific data and ideas, and how did the scientist measure something, and did they interpret the results correctly, and can it be duplicated," he said. "Intelligent design has not entered the realm of scientific debate."

+

+

It has, however, entered into the realm of public debate, one that continues Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Darby Junior High School gym.

+

</blockquote>

+

On 2 February 2004 the school-board vote was taken, and the results were reported in local newspapers the next day by reporters following the story. Jenny Johnson{{ref|jj04}} wrote in the ''Ravalli Republic'':

+

+

Despite legal recommendations advising against the action, Darby School Board trustees Monday adopted an objective origins policy that will allow the school's science curriculum to teach theories other than evolution.

+

+

Trustees voted 3-2 to adopt the policy - Mary Lovejoy and Bob Wetzsteon opposed the policy, and Chairwoman Gina Schallenberger, Doug Banks and Elisabeth Bender voting for the policy change.

+

+

"This is not a good policy to adopt," Lovejoy said. "We need to go to the state before we consider this."

+

+

Wetzsteon, the other nay vote, said he didn't understand how the board can go against the recommendation of the school board's attorney.

+

[...]

+

Darby's policy doesn't specifically include language requiring intelligent design to be a part of science class, but instructs teachers to challenge the theory of evolution. Teachers are "encouraged to help students assess evidence for and against theories, to analyze the scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing scientific theories, including the theory of evolution."

+

</blockquote>

-

== ~~Reaction~~ ==

+

On the same date, Michael Moore{{ref|mm02}} wrote in ''The Missoulian'':

+

+

Against the advice of the principals and teachers it employs and the attorney who represents it, the school board here voted 3-2 Monday night to approve an "objective origins" policy that will change the way science is taught.

+

[...]

+

[School-board member Doug] Banks said "objective origins" is just a way to teach both sides of the evolution "debate," but the board has no plan in place for such instruction, nor does it have plans for teacher training. Banks said the fact that the district has no curriculum in place is unimportant. Policy leads, he said, and curriculum will follow.

+

[...]

+

Elizabeth Kaleva, the board's attorney through her position as the attorney for the Montana School Boards Association [...] had also warned the board that it would likely be sued over such a policy by groups or individuals that believe that "objective origins" is a catch phrase for putting religion into science class.

+

</blockquote>

+

Reaction from the capital was swift:{{ref|bg01}}

+

+

"That isn't science," said [Montana State] Superintendent of Public Instruction Linda McCulloch. "That's exactly what it's all about is teaching creationism. It doesn't matter what you call it. Creationism is not a recognized science."

+

+

She said Tuesday that the Darby School District runs the risk of violating the Montana Constitution and jeopardizing funding if it adopts a policy and curriculum that introduce creationism into science classes.

+

</blockquote>

+

The same report noted that this vote by the school board was the first, and that a final vote was still needed to implement the policy change. Darby was still far from settled on the issue.

+

== Darby Reacts to Anti-Evolution Policy ==

Line 64:

Line 105:

#{{note|js01}}John Schneeberger, [http://www.ravallinews.com/articles/2004/01/05/opinion/viewpoint/valley.txt "An open letter to the Darby School Board -- December 31, 2003"], ''Ravalli Republic'' [MT], 5 January 2004.

#{{note|jj03}}Jenny Johnson, [http://www.ravallinews.com/articles/2004/01/20/news/news02.txt "Opponents of origin theories plan presentation"], ''Ravalli Republic'' [MT], 20 January 2004.

+

#{{note|mm01}}Michael Moore, [http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/01/28/news/top/news01.txt "Origins debate deeper than Darby"], ''The Missoulian'' [MT], 28 January 2004; this is a fascinating analysis of the debate in the community at a dramatic climax prior to the school-board vote.

+

#{{note|jj04}}Jenny Johnson, [http://www.ravallinews.com/articles/2004/02/03/news/news01.txt "Darby adopts origins policy"], ''Ravalli Republic'' [MT], 3 February 2004.

+

#{{note|mm02}}Michael Moore, [http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/02/03/news/top/news01.txt "Darby schools OK 'objective origins'"], ''The Missoulian'' [MT], 3 February 2004.

+

#{{note|bg01}}Associated press, [http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/02/03/build/state/50-darby-evolution.inc "State education chief: Darby school policy not science"], ''Billings [MT] Gazette'', 3 February 2004.

-

~~#{{note|mm01}}Michael Moore, [http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/03/03/news/local/news02.txt "Darby couple readies 'objective origins' lawsuit"], ''The Missoulian'' [MT], apparently 3 March 2004.~~

-

#{{note|rr02}}Rod Miner and Martha Stomberg, [http://www.ravallinews.com/articles/2004/03/04/opinion/viewpoint/valley.txt "Objective origins policy will be challenged"], ''Ravalli Republic'' [MT], 4 March 2004.

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* American Association for the Advancement of Science, [http://www.aaas.org/spp/dser/evolution/issues/montana.shtml "Science & Policy Program -- Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion: Montana"], c. July 2004.

-

* Associated Press, [http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?tl=1&display=rednews/2004/05/06/build/state/40-darby-creationists.inc "Darby rejects 2 candidates backing 'objective origins'"], ''Billings Gazette [MT]'', 6 May 2004.

-

* [http://www.city-data.com/city/Darby-Montana.html "Darby, Montana Detailed Profile"], ''city-data.com'', c. 2004.

* [http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=27704 "Darby, Montana Community Profile"], ''ePodunk.com'', c. 2004.

Darby, Montana School Board

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@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 Some 800 people live in Darby, and the Darby High School has some 180 students. In 2004, Darby became a central part of the national struggle in the US against religious incursions into public-school science classrooms.
-== Events ==
+== Darby School Board Adopts Anti-Evolution Policy ==
 In December 2003, there was a news story in the ''Ravalli Republic'' with this simple announcement{{ref|jj01}}:
@@ Line 41: / Line 41: @@
 </blockquote>
-The policy change was evidently introduced and tabled as promised, and the Darby Junior High gymnasium was again the meeting place, this time on Wednesday, 21 January, for a presentation by Allan Gishlick of the National Center for Science Education,{{ref|jj03}} as promised by the RCCS. As reported,
+The policy change was evidently introduced and tabled as promised, and the Darby Junior High gymnasium was again the meeting place, this time on Wednesday, 21 January, for a presentation by Allan Gishlick of the National Center for Science Education,{{ref|jj03}} on behalf of the RCCS. As reported,
 <blockquote>
-The policy calls for students to "assess evidence for and against theories," and "to analyze the scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing scientific theories, including the theory of evolution." Although the policy doesn't spell out what other theories would be included in science curriculum and courts have emphatically prohibited the teaching of creationism in public schools, the objective origins curriculum inevitably will include discussions of intelligent design....
+The policy calls for students to "assess evidence for and against theories," and "to analyze the scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing scientific theories, including the theory of evolution." Although the policy doesn't spell out what other theories would be included in science curriculum and courts have emphatically prohibited the teaching of creationism in public schools, the objective origins curriculum inevitably will include discussions of intelligent design....Darby is the first school district in Montana to take up such a decision, according to Montana School Board Association officials.
 </blockquote>
+Days before 2 February 2004, when the Darby school board was to vote on the "Objective Origins" proposal put forward by Brickly, interest was high and the opinion of the town was divided:{{ref|mm01}}
+<blockquote>
+The "modest" proposal [of Brickley's] has Darby in a tizzy. The school board took public comment Monday night [26 January 2004] and will reconvene Wednesday at 7 p.m. Intelligent design has been castigated as the work of pseudo-scientists whose primary interest is putting God in the classroom, while evolution has drawn comparisons to "godless communism."
+   <br><br>
+The middle ground isn't exactly heavily populated.
+   <br>...<br>
+Part of the debate in Darby is about what exactly will be taught in science class if objective origins is approved. Curtis Brickley has his own ideas, and they do nothing to appease the policy's critics.
+   <br>...<br>
+Science moves ahead through controversy, in fact, but that controversy is tangible, Christian said. [Don Christian is associate dean of the biological sciences division at the University of Montana.]  "Scientific controversy involves scientific data and ideas, and how did the scientist measure something, and did they interpret the results correctly, and can it be duplicated," he said. "Intelligent design has not entered the realm of scientific debate."
+   <br><br>
+It has, however, entered into the realm of public debate, one that continues Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Darby Junior High School gym.
+</blockquote>
+On 2 February 2004 the school-board vote was taken, and the results were reported in local newspapers the next day by reporters following the story. Jenny Johnson{{ref|jj04}} wrote in the ''Ravalli Republic'':
+<blockquote>
+Despite legal recommendations advising against the action, Darby School Board trustees Monday adopted an objective origins policy that will allow the school's science curriculum to teach theories other than evolution.
+   <br><br>
+Trustees voted 3-2 to adopt the policy - Mary Lovejoy and Bob Wetzsteon opposed the policy, and Chairwoman Gina Schallenberger, Doug Banks and Elisabeth Bender voting for the policy change.
+   <br><br>
+"This is not a good policy to adopt," Lovejoy said. "We need to go to the state before we consider this."
+   <br><br>
+Wetzsteon, the other nay vote, said he didn't understand how the board can go against the recommendation of the school board's attorney.
+   <br>[...]<br>
+Darby's policy doesn't specifically include language requiring intelligent design to be a part of science class, but instructs teachers to challenge the theory of evolution. Teachers are "encouraged to help students assess evidence for and against theories, to analyze the scientific strengths and weaknesses of existing scientific theories, including the theory of evolution."
+</blockquote>
-== Reaction ==
+On the same date, Michael Moore{{ref|mm02}} wrote in ''The Missoulian'':
+<blockquote>
+Against the advice of the principals and teachers it employs and the attorney who represents it, the school board here voted 3-2 Monday night to approve an "objective origins" policy that will change the way science is taught.
+   <br>[...]<br>
+[School-board member Doug] Banks said "objective origins" is just a way to teach both sides of the evolution "debate," but the board has no plan in place for such instruction, nor does it have plans for teacher training. Banks said the fact that the district has no curriculum in place is unimportant. Policy leads, he said, and curriculum will follow.
+   <br>[...]<br>
+Elizabeth Kaleva, the board's attorney through her position as the attorney for the Montana School Boards Association [...] had also warned the board that it would likely be sued over such a policy by groups or individuals that believe that "objective origins" is a catch phrase for putting religion into science class.
+</blockquote>
+Reaction from the capital was swift:{{ref|bg01}}
+<blockquote>
+"That isn't science," said [Montana State] Superintendent of Public Instruction Linda McCulloch. "That's exactly what it's all about is teaching creationism. It doesn't matter what you call it. Creationism is not a recognized science."
+   <br><br>
+She said Tuesday that the Darby School District runs the risk of violating the Montana Constitution and jeopardizing funding if it adopts a policy and curriculum that introduce creationism into science classes.
+</blockquote>
+The same report noted that this vote by the school board was the first, and that a final vote was still needed to implement the policy change. Darby was still far from settled on the issue.
+== Darby Reacts to Anti-Evolution Policy ==
@@ Line 64: / Line 105: @@
 #{{note|js01}}John Schneeberger, [http://www.ravallinews.com/articles/2004/01/05/opinion/viewpoint/valley.txt "An open letter to the Darby School Board -- December 31, 2003"], ''Ravalli Republic'' [MT], 5 January 2004.
 #{{note|jj03}}Jenny Johnson, [http://www.ravallinews.com/articles/2004/01/20/news/news02.txt "Opponents of origin theories plan presentation"], ''Ravalli Republic'' [MT], 20 January 2004.
+#{{note|mm01}}Michael Moore, [http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/01/28/news/top/news01.txt "Origins debate deeper than Darby"], ''The Missoulian'' [MT], 28 January 2004; this is a fascinating analysis of the debate in the community at a dramatic climax prior to the school-board vote.
+#{{note|jj04}}Jenny Johnson, [http://www.ravallinews.com/articles/2004/02/03/news/news01.txt "Darby adopts origins policy"], ''Ravalli Republic'' [MT], 3 February 2004.
+#{{note|mm02}}Michael Moore, [http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/02/03/news/top/news01.txt "Darby schools OK 'objective origins'"], ''The Missoulian'' [MT], 3 February 2004.
+#{{note|bg01}}Associated press, [http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/2004/02/03/build/state/50-darby-evolution.inc  "State education chief: Darby school policy not science"], ''Billings [MT] Gazette'', 3 February 2004.
-#{{note|mm01}}Michael Moore, [http://www.missoulian.com/articles/2004/03/03/news/local/news02.txt "Darby couple readies 'objective origins' lawsuit"], ''The Missoulian'' [MT], apparently 3 March 2004.
-#{{note|rr02}}Rod Miner and Martha Stomberg, [http://www.ravallinews.com/articles/2004/03/04/opinion/viewpoint/valley.txt "Objective origins policy will be challenged"], ''Ravalli Republic'' [MT], 4 March 2004.
@@ Line 75: / Line 115: @@
 * American Association for the Advancement of Science, [http://www.aaas.org/spp/dser/evolution/issues/montana.shtml "Science & Policy Program -- Dialogue on Science, Ethics, and Religion: Montana"], c. July 2004.
-* Associated Press, [http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?tl=1&display=rednews/2004/05/06/build/state/40-darby-creationists.inc "Darby rejects 2 candidates backing 'objective origins'"], ''Billings Gazette [MT]'', 6 May 2004.
 * [http://www.city-data.com/city/Darby-Montana.html "Darby, Montana Detailed Profile"], ''city-data.com'', c. 2004.
 * [http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/genInfo.php?locIndex=27704 "Darby, Montana Community Profile"], ''ePodunk.com'', c. 2004.