Why is it a problem?

Kansas recently succumbed to the ID fad. New Scientist reports that the official Kansas policy is that

Intelligent design suggests that living creatures are too complex to have evolved without the influence of an intelligent designer.

The new standards will come into effect in 2007. The board rewrote the definition of science, so that it is no longer limited to the search for natural explanations of phenomena.

What’s the problem?

1) the pessimistic outlook – ‘its too complicated for us to get a handle on it.’

2) redefining concepts to suit one’s proclivities.

The first is in stark contrast to a basic teaching adage that students will rise or sink to meet expectations. The same applies for leaders that the first part of any job is that of internalizing the potential for successful completion.

The second implies a dishonesty. To make a lie a truth all you have to do is to change the meaning of the words. Think about it.

Kansas has gone back and forth on this in the last few years. This just says the anti-science proponents are persistent. Pensylvania has a lawsuit going and the school board members who went for ID were all defeated.

But all of this misses the point. What are public schools for and how does this fit within that mission?