Keep Creationism out of Public Schools
The teaching of creationism in public schools was halted by court decision in 1987. After which, the Discovery Institute and others began promoting "Intelligent Design". The so called "Intelligent Design" idea is simply creationism in disguise. This was proven in the Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District case in 2005. The key piece of evidence, now affectionately known as cdesign proponentsists was so revealing of the defense's motives as to be laughable. See The Devil in Dover by Lauri Lebo, as the best coverage of the trial.
Although the plaintiffs case in Kitzmiller was far superior to what the defense had to offer, it was not a U.S. Supreme Court decision and therefore the possibility still exists that in some state, some school district may attempt to teach "intelligent design" again. If taught in your school, use the Effective Activism Guide in addressing the local school board. Remind them of the words of Richard Katskee, assistant legal director for Americans United, who said of the trial's cost, "Any board thinking of trying to do what the Dover board did is going to have to look for a bill in excess of $2 million," and "I think $2 million is a lot to explain to taxpayers for a lawsuit that should never be fought."
To be pro-active, you could introduce Anti-creationist legislation in your state. State legislation is sometimes fairly specific in format state by state, but here are
some possible ways to approach it:
First, is there a state legislator who is supportive of such a law? You would need to find one to get a bill introduced. In most states, presenting the idea to that
legislator then allows him/her to use the resources they have (many states have nonpartisan legal staff) to craft requested legislation. Ask legislators in your state
for their opinion on this issue so you may identify which one may be most supportive of your efforts.
Secondly, write a draft bill. Check Science Education organizations for input. They may have template
legislation already prepared since these groups have been fighting this for a while. If a group which specializes in science curriculum doesn't have this
resource, the National Education Association or American Federation of Teachers might. Once the draft
is written, have it endorsed by:
- National Science Teacher's Association
- National Academy of Sciences
- State Dept. of Education
Thirdly, if neither of these two produce the results you need, a look at your state's current laws regarding school curriculum might provide you with a format to simply place your specific requirement in.
Lastly, some states also have means (usually fairly complex) to put law directly on a ballot to voters. Contact your local political party headquarters for help with this. Don't accept the reasoning from your representative that this kind of bill "is not necessary". The history of creationist bills, the potential for expensive litigation and the right to quality education make it very necessary.