Brandon Haught
- Published in print:
- 2014
- Published Online:
- September 2014
- ISBN:
- 9780813049434
- eISBN:
- 9780813050409
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University Press of Florida
- DOI:
- 10.5744/florida/9780813049434.003.0008
- Subject:
- Society and Culture, Ethical Issues and Debates
Covering the late 1990s through 2006, chapter 8 starts by focusing on attempts in Lee County to create Bible classes in public schools that would also teach creationist concepts. Manatee County again ...
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Covering the late 1990s through 2006, chapter 8 starts by focusing on attempts in Lee County to create Bible classes in public schools that would also teach creationist concepts. Manatee County again faced the creationism question as pastor Gary Byram and school board member Frank Brunner used a local event featuring creationist speaker Kent Hovind to springboard a creationist agenda. The chapter then analyzes three school voucher programs introduced in Florida and tied to private schools with creationist curricula. In 1998, Florida's state science standards came under fire from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, a private foundation based in Washington D.C., for avoiding discussion of evolution in the state science curriculum. “Intelligent design,” a new creationist concept, started to pop up in Florida at this time. In 2005, Cheri Yecke was chosen as chancellor of K–12 education in Florida, but her reputation for past efforts to push creationism in Minnesota followed her. State Rep. Dennis Baxley drew attention for filing an Academic Freedom Bill of Rights that would outlaw repercussions against college students for stating conservative views in opposition to their professors. A biology book that included mention of creationist concepts sparked a debate across the state. Chapter 8 concludes with a discussion of preparations for the state science standards revision process.Less
Covering the late 1990s through 2006, chapter 8 starts by focusing on attempts in Lee County to create Bible classes in public schools that would also teach creationist concepts. Manatee County again faced the creationism question as pastor Gary Byram and school board member Frank Brunner used a local event featuring creationist speaker Kent Hovind to springboard a creationist agenda. The chapter then analyzes three school voucher programs introduced in Florida and tied to private schools with creationist curricula. In 1998, Florida's state science standards came under fire from the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, a private foundation based in Washington D.C., for avoiding discussion of evolution in the state science curriculum. “Intelligent design,” a new creationist concept, started to pop up in Florida at this time. In 2005, Cheri Yecke was chosen as chancellor of K–12 education in Florida, but her reputation for past efforts to push creationism in Minnesota followed her. State Rep. Dennis Baxley drew attention for filing an Academic Freedom Bill of Rights that would outlaw repercussions against college students for stating conservative views in opposition to their professors. A biology book that included mention of creationist concepts sparked a debate across the state. Chapter 8 concludes with a discussion of preparations for the state science standards revision process.
