Pennsylvania

Biology Issue Lingers

The Dover Area School Board still is considering purchase of a companion textbook to teach creationism as part of the district's high school biology curriculum.

Superintendent Richard Nilsen said the book -- "Of Pandas and People: The Central Question of Biological Origins" -- is under review by the school board, staff and district curriculum committee, but he said he had no idea when the issue would come up for a vote.

It took two votes after a heated discussion last month for the divided school board to approve the 2004 edition of "Prentice Hall Biology," which had offended several board members because it teaches evolution without reference to creationism.

Board member William Buckingham proposed the district also purchase "Of Pandas and People," saying it would balance the curriculum and teach an alternate theory to evo-
lution.

The book, originally published by the Foundation for Thought and Ethics in 1989, presents the theory of "intelligent design" and questions the science behind Darwin's theory of evolution.

Buckingham said it is important to distinguish between the concept of creationism, which refers to God and the creation story in the Bible, and intelligent design, which states that some being caused life to begin somehow. He said the distinction is important because intelligent design is not specific to one religion.

Although Buckingham said last month he thought the biology text could not be approved without the companion text, he said last night he is confident "Of Pandas and People" will be approved and is pleased with the review process.

At the Aug. 3 meeting Buckingham and members Sheila Harkins, Angie Yingling, and Heather Geesey first voted against the biology text, with members Jeff Brown, Casey Brown, Noel Wenrich, and Alan Bonsell voting for approval of the text. Board member Jane Cleaver was absent, and the motion was defeated on a 4-4 vote.

After several heated exchanges, Yingling decided to change her vote to move the process forward, but she said she is behind Buckingham philosophically.

Wider issue: The textbook debate thrust the Dover Area School Board in the middle of the larger issue of separation of church and state.

In 1987, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the teaching of creationism in public school as a violation of the separation of church and state. In addition, the Pennsylvania Department of Education high school science standards require the teaching of evolution.

The group Americans United for Separation of Church and State threatened to sue the district if it chose a textbook that teaches creationism.

But the Thomas More Law Center, based in Ann Arbor, Mich., offered to represent the district without charge if Americans United filed suit. The center describes itself as "a national public interest law firm with a three-part mission to: defend the religious freedom of Christians; restore time-honored family values; and protect the sanctity of human life."

Residents speak against plan: Although Buckingham's fellow board members were silent on the issue last night, several residents spoke against teaching creationism in the schools.

"I am responsible for my children's religious education, not some public educator," resident Andrea Heilman said "We need to let educators educate and let parents and religious leaders nurture."

Irene Jurvala-Austen, a biology teacher for 35 years at the high school level and at York College and Millersville University, said in all her years of teaching evolution she had never seen a student or adult lose faith in God after learning about Darwin and the theory of natural selection.

"I wonder what the motive is in bringing in the 'Panda' book, if it is evangelism in the public schools then it is inappropriate," she said. " ... (I)t is a faith issue; to teach it as science is a perversion."

Bertha Spahr, head of the Dover science department, has said the curriculum is aligned with state standards: Teachers do not address the origins of life, but can suggest that other theories exist and should be taught by students' families or at their churches.