Less than a year ago, a conservative majority on [tag]Kansas[/tag]’ State [tag]Board[/tag] of [tag]Education[/tag] adopted state [tag]science[/tag] standards on how to teach modern [tag]biology[/tag]. Or in Kansas’ case, how to avoid it — the standards adopted by the state board represented the broadest challenge to [tag]evolution[/tag] in the country.
[tag]Democrats[/tag] and [tag]moderate[/tag] [tag]Republicans[/tag] organized a fierce fight to take back the board and undo the damage. Yesterday, thankfully, they succeeded.
Conservative Republicans who brought international attention to Kansas by approving academic standards calling evolution into question lost control of the state school board in primaries.
As a result of the vote, board members and candidates who believe evolution is well-supported by evidence will have a 6-4 majority. Evolution skeptics had entered the election with a 6-4 majority.
Of particular interest was the race against incumbent conservative Connie Morris, who has publicly described evolution as “an age-old fairy tale” and “a nice bedtime story.” Though some east-coast papers didn’t have the results, she lost too.
It’s an encouraging day for the reality-based community.