Kansas - Students Not in Science Oz Anymore

An interesting little blurb on Huff Po this morning.

Not something I normally write about – but being that it happened in KANSAS – coming from the land of the Koch’s (BAM!! - there comes the Koch data miners onto my site) – I thought it was a little amusing.

It was evident that there aren’t any ALEC members on the KSBE (ok-maybe 2). Next step is the American Legislative Exchange Council will force their Kansas ALEC legislators to push through a bill requiring climate denial be taught – like they are in other states.

Kansas' New Science Standards Make Evolution And Climate Change Key Part Of Curriculum

The Kansas State Board of Education voted Tuesday to adopt the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), a new science curriculum that treats evolution and climate change as fact and promotes hands-on learning.

Woo- hoo!

Wonder what caused this?  Passed on an 8 -2 vote.

Hands on learning should already be part of any curriculum, but overall this is a good step.

Previously Kansas had voted to weaken evolution teaching in 1999 and 2005 – so this news is not very welcome by the bible thumping right-wingers. 

Nonetheless a report released Thursday by the conservative Thomas B. Fordham Institute claims Kansas’ previous standards were “clearly superior” to the NGSS. The reviewers make no mention of the standards' treatment of evolution or climate change, but they say the approved curriculum overlooks key concepts and places too much emphasis on hands-on learning.

“previous standards were “clearly superior”

Maybe – to someone from the 1400’s who believed the world was flat.

“places too much emphasis on hands-on learning”

Really? 

REALLY?

That is your objection – really?

“We think that the ones you are ushering out the door are superior," Institute President Chester Finn said in a conference call with reporters, per the Associated Press. "I hope you give them a very nice going-away party."

Giving creationism a going-away party = burning the books that taught creationism.

Giving climate denial curriculum a going-away party = burning the books that taught climate denial.

OR

Putting the "previous standards" and curriculum in the "What Not to Do Vault".

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