Activist Views School Board Election as Strike Against Academic Freedom
by Jim Brown and Jody Brown
November 16, 2005
(AgapePress) - - A pro-family activist in Pennsylvania is lamenting school board election results in a city that spawned a highly publicized federal trial over the teaching of evolution and intelligent design in public schools.Residents in Dover recently voted in eight new Democratic board members, replacing all eight current members who had voted for a science policy that was challenged in court. The Dover science required students in ninth-grade biology classes to hear a statement on intelligent design before hearing lessons on evolution. The statement encouraged students to keep an open mind to various theories about the origin of life, including intelligent design.
"Because Darwin's Theory is a theory," the statement reads, "it continues to be tested as new evidence is discovered. The Theory [of evolution] is not a fact. Gaps in the Theory exist for which there is no evidence." It then offers intelligent design as "an explanation of the origin of life that differs from Darwin's view," identifies a reference book (Of Pandas and People) for those who are interested, and says the school leaves discussion about the origins of life "to individual students and their families."
Diane Gramley, who heads the American Family Association of Pennsylvania, believes that both students and taxpayers were the losers in last week's election -- and that academic freedom in Dover has taken a blow.
"There are those who resist all efforts of academic freedom when it comes to the subject of evolution," Gramley says in a press release. "It seems [evolution proponents] may be insecure in their views as they so viciously attack those who try to offer students the opportunity to explore a different viewpoint."
But that aside, the Pennsylvania activist says the election results boiled down to the issue of money. The current board, she says, was very careful in spending money -- and teachers in the district had a problem with that.
"The teachers are very disappointed with the current school board because it's a very frugal school board [that has] not raised taxes in the entire time they've been on the board," Gramley shares. In addition, she says, an increase in teacher salaries also played a part. "They're negotiating with the teachers [who] want a big pay raise, and this board has said 'we can't afford it.' And the teachers union was very much involved with the race."
Gramley believes the ousted board members made "wise financial decisions" and provided students with more academic freedom, yet were targeted because of their belief that evolution is a theory -- not a fact. The family activist also contends voters mistakenly believed that those who were voted off the board brought shame to the district by prompting the federal lawsuit.
"[Voters] bought into the lie that was being perpetuated by the other side," she says. "There was a group started called 'Dover Cares' shortly after the lawsuit was brought. I mean, that's a nice-sounding name -- Dover Cares -- and they had money from the teachers union funneled through this organization because they had a candidate or two running who were Dover Cares candidates."
She wonders if the new members of the school board will permit students to know there is a controversy over the origin of life and that not all scientists agree on the issue. "Their answer," she says, "will reveal their true intent for academic freedom in the district."
A ruling in the trial over Dover's science policy is expected by the end of the year.
