This longstanding friction in certain religious circles is particularly perplexing because evolution is accepted as fact not only by research scientists and scientific organizations but also a wide variety of denominations, including the United Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church and the Episcopal Church. But in East Texas, where my mother taught biology, chemistry and geology for about five decades, not a year passed without a hand being raised by a flabbergasted young student questioning the validity of evolution (sometimes with scriptural support), or a call from a parent questioning her bonafides and railing against her failure to give weight to Christian-based parables of origin.
Few said she should “teach the controversy,” although it was certainly implied that many of these folks believed one existed. Since one does not, she always politely declined. And, as a well-worn and well-versed teacher of the craft, she had the clout to just raise a silencing eyebrow, take a deep breath and hold her line. But that sort of pressure from parents, preachers and even school boards can have a powerful and deleterious effect on teachers just starting out, or waiting for contract renewal and hoping to keep their jobs.
A similar 2007 survey of how evolution was being taught by biology teachers in the public high schools found that the evolutionary truth was being denied or severely watered down in just under half of the high school classrooms surveyed. Instead of giving students clear and accurate guidance about this fundamental organizing principle of biology, these teachers instructed students that evolution remained unsettled science, or misrepresented creationism as a scientifically credible alternative to evolution. (Some teachers did both.)
While the NCSE says these disheartening statistics have improved as more states have adopted stronger state-wide science standards, there remain powerful forces intent upon chipping away at evolution’s much-deserved preeminence.
As Retro Report explained in our 2017 documentary, Raising Doubts about Evolution (above), this is only one of the well-established scientific theories that science skeptics are intent upon toppling. While it’s “gratifying to see that American schools have made progress in their teaching of evolution… roughly a fifth of teachers entirely avoid the question of human origins, and nearly an equal number do not see evolution as a unifying theme for their biology classes,” notes Kenneth R. Miller, a biology professor at Brown University.
“ This means there is still work to be done to assure that every student receives a full, accurate, and complete science education to prepare them for life in the 21st century.”
Are you a teacher? The documentary mentioned in this piece is part of the lesson plan “Influencing Policy: Evolution and the First Amendment,” available for free at Retro Report in the Classroom. Our lesson plans are based on our archive of 200+ short documentaries that show how history shapes our present. Subscribe.