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Hi, all. Yesterday I sent the following questions to the Fort Collins School Board candidates on my ballot. Below is my e-mail followed by the responses I have received so far. All responses (aside from my emphasis using italics) are exactly as spelled and puncuated, and are otherwise unedited.
I am a voter in Fort Collins and am interested in your responses to the two following questions. Thank you very much for your commitment to Fort Collins and your time. What is your position of the role that evolution should play in the biology curriculum in Fort Collins schools? Should Intelligent Design be taught in public schools? Thanks again!
District A
Barbara Schwerin
Thank you for sending your questions. My responses are below. The Colorado Department of Education determines subject area content for evolution. The new Colorado science standards include evolution at grades 4, 7, and high school. Court rulings have stated that intelligent design is not science, and teaching it in public schools violates separation of church and state. Local school boards do not have authority in this issue. However, I believe that parents are their child’s first and foremost teacher, therefore parents should instruct their children regarding evolution and creationism.
Thank you.
Cathy Kipp
Hi Brian,
Thanks for taking the time to be an informed voter.
Science-based curriculum should be taught in school. Evolution is currently accepted scientific theory, Intelligent Design is not
Hope this helps!
District B
Thomas Balchak (running unopposed)
Thanks for the inquiry.
Students should be exposed to the theory of evolution in science classes.
Students should also be exposed to the concept of Intelligent design and other historical and philosophical approaches to understanding origins . The most likely curriculum areas for this inquiry include language arts, humanities, or social studies.
FYI: I attended Catholic schools K-12, and taught at a Franciscan High School before moving to Fort Collins. I don't believe the two ideas are necessarily in conflict.
District F
Nancy Tellez
Thank you for your question, Brian. The school district curriculum must address the state standards.
I support the teaching of long-accepted scientific theory, as well as historically accepted explanations for what occurs in the natural world. When any such concepts are taught, it is important that students learn the background and supporting evidence for the concepts.
Nancy
Stephen Yurash
No response yet
District G
Teresa Affleck
Hello, Brian,
Thank you for your great questions.
To answer them:
1. I believe evolution should be a part of the biology curriculum within PSD. (Additionally, the state requires that evolution be taught within biology curriculums.)
2. I believe in a separation of church and state. Intelligent Design should not be taught in public schools, unless in an historical manner.
Thank you for your interest,
Teresa Affleck
Susan Gutowsky
No response yet
I will countine to update this list as more responses come in.
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On the other hand, the high school standards for teaching evolution in Colorado are very good. This can pose a problem for Creationist parents who, for a variety of reasons, may want to enroll their child in regular public high school, such as going for college athletic scholarships. But again, it can be gotten around. What some parents appear to do is keep their child out of 9th grade (by homeschooling or via some charter schools), claiming that the child already met the requirement.
Whoever gave Colorado a B grade for the state's evolution standards was naive; they need to be spelled out in greater detail for the lower grades. Also, evolution is too important to be taught only three years out of the K-12 system.