In Iowa City, proposed changes to state science standards have sparked concern. The suggested modifications could eliminate terms like ‘climate change’ and reduce mentions of evolution.
The Iowa Department of Education held a meeting to gather feedback from educators, experts, and community members. Overall, attendees expressed strong opposition to the proposed wording changes.
Many speakers argued that removing terms such as ‘climate change’ isn’t just about wording; it compromises the quality and accuracy of science education. They believe these alterations would disadvantage all students.
Current standards include critical topics like climate change, human impact on the climate, and evolution. However, the new proposal seeks to remove the term “climate change” entirely and omit important details, such as the Earth’s age.
One former science teacher, Alison Warren, raised a pertinent question: “How can we still call these science standards when we ignore basic scientific facts?”
Some speakers at the meeting claimed to have been part of the committee that reviewed the standards, contradicting claims from the Department of Education that the proposed document reflects this committee’s input.
Committee member Jeff Nordine stated, “The document appears to come from the review team, but that’s misleading.” He and others maintained they were unaware of the proposed removals until after the new document was made public.
TV9 accessed the original science standards document, which indeed included references to climate change, evolution, and human impacts on climate. This has raised concerns about transparency from the Department of Education.
While the changes don’t formally stop teachers from covering climate change in their lessons, educators suggest that removing it from the standards could complicate matters for both teachers and students.
The Department of Education plans to hold more public meetings to discuss these changes, including one in Ottumwa and another in Des Moines.
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