Friday, February 6, 2004
|
Friday, February 6, 2004 |
|
Cox backtracks on ‘evolution’ stance By J. FRANK LYNCH A national tide of criticism and ridicule directed toward Kathy Cox after she suggested omitting the word “evolution” from Georgia’s new biology curriculum apparently took its toll by midweek. On Thursday, the state school superintendent issued a formal statement apologizing for creating the furor, announcing that “evolution” would be returned to the working drafts of the proposed Georgia Performance Standards. “I made the decision to remove the word ‘evolution’ from the draft of the proposed biology curriculum in an effort to avoid controversy that would prevent people from reading the substance of the document itself,” Cox said in a statement released around noon Thursday, when an earlier scheduled press conference was canceled. “Instead, a greater controversy ensued.” Cox, a Republican from Peachtree City and member of Peachtree City United Methodist Church, insisted the decision had nothing to do with her faith or pressures from religious conservatives offended that the theory of evolution is often taught as fact, though never proven. From close political ally Gov. Sonny Perdue to former President Jimmy Carter, Cox was widely denounced for taking the stand, even though as many as five states — including Florida — also have removed “evolution” from state biology curriculums. Her argument last week was that “evolution” is a buzzword that stirs heated emotions on both sides of the debate about how mankind came to be, and is best avoided in classrooms. The theory of “evolution” would still be presented, she argued, but that point seemed lost on critics from across the country who lept at the chance to denouce the move as more evidence that Georgia as a redneck, rural Southern backwater. Among the organized efforts to rally public opinion against Cox is the Web site www.kathycoxevolve.com, which included dozens of news links and hundreds of message board postings from around the nation, running at least 10-1 against her position. “I am here to tell you that I misjudged the situation, and I want to apologize for that,” Cox said in her statement. “I want you to know today that I will recommend to the teacher teams that the word ‘evolution’ be put back in the curriculum.” The changes to the science terminology are just a part of the massive overhaul of the state-mandated curriculum taught to every Georgia public school student. Public review and revisions of the new standards will continue through Spring. The state Board of Education is tentatively set to vote on passage in May, which is necessary in order to start altering the methods and subject matter taught in the earliest grades. The Department of Education Web site (www.gadoe.org) has features that allow for teachers, students, parents and others across the state to offer feedback and suggest change.
|
||