The 2013 session of the Oklahoma Legislature is garnering a great deal of negative attention from media outlets as well as a great many scientific and education professional societies. Prior postings in this space, as well as the OSTA Twitter feed have chronicled some of the statements and media commentaries surrounding HB 1674 the similar SB 758.
This morning, the National Association of Biology Teachers sent the following letter to Senator John Ford, Chair of the Senate Education Committee as well as all other members of that committee in reference to SB 758. The original letter is linked below.
The Honorable John W. Ford
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Rm. 424A
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
(405) 521-5634
Dear Chairman Ford,
On behalf of our members and the students of Oklahoma, the National Association of Biology Teachers (NABT) would like to express its opposition to SB 758 as proposed by Senator Josh Brecheen. We believe the wording of this legislation clearly allows non-scientific explanations for “controversial” topics to be introduced into the science classroom.
We are confident that the teachers of Oklahoma are already helping their students “understand, analyze, critique, and review” the scientific concepts in their courses. These concepts should not be misrepresented as “controversial” or “opinion.” Instead, they should be presented as what they are: scientific explanations for events and processes that are supported by experimentation, logical analysis, and evidence-based revision using detectable and measurable data.
We respectfully request that you reject SB 758 in support of science education that imparts to students an understanding of the nature of science based on the key components of the scientific method and content agreed upon by scientists and professional educators. As an organization dedicated to biology education, we know that the students of Oklahoma are best served when curriculum reflects these issues appropriately and maintains scientific integrity in the science classroom.
Thank you for your consideration,
Jaclyn Reeves-Pepin
Executive Director
National Association of Biology Teachers
Approved by the NABT Board of Directors
(download the original letter here)