Oklahoma panel advances bill criticized as threat to science education
by Dale Denwalt
Published: Fri, April 14, 2017 5:00 AM
State Rep. David Brumbaugh, R-Broken Arrow
A House panel narrowly approved legislation that would protect teachers who help foster discussions about scientific controversy.
Opponents of Senate Bill 393 believe it could let teachers promote unproven theories, giving credence to topics like creationism, climate change denial, or as one parent said, ancient aliens.
Along with protecting their jobs, the bill would also give teachers legal immunity if they comply with the law.
"Teachers shall be permitted to help students understand, analyze, critique and review in an objective manner the scientific strengths and scientific weaknesses of existing scientific theories covered in the course being taught," according to the bill.
It passed the committee by a 4-3 vote.
One of the bill's authors, state Rep. David Brumbaugh, R-Broken Arrow, said Oklahoma is one of 16 states considering similar bills.
"It creates an educational atmosphere promoting critical-thinking skills, logical analysis and objective and open discussion of scientific theories and evidence while protecting teachers," he said. "They have children that would like to talk about all the different scientific theories. If science was settled, we'd still be thinking the Earth was flat."
The bill excludes religion as a protected topic, but several large and small science education groups have vigorously opposed it.
Beth Allan, who teaches biology at the University of Central Oklahoma, said the bill won't prepare students to be competitive in science, technology, engineering and math disciplines, known as STEM.
"Our STEM workforce must know accurate science that is verified," Allan said. "We are concerned that they will come to us at the science fair, science classes and our science workforce unable to differentiate between science and nonscience."
Tulsa parent Theresa Goughenour said she wants her children to get a 21st-century education.
"I don't want my children being taught by a teacher who doesn't believe in evidence-based science in the same way I don't want them to be treated by a doctor who doesn't believe in evidence-based science," said Goughenour, who spoke on behalf of the organization Climate Parents.
Another parent, Aysha Prather told the committee that her child's sixth-grade science teacher recently talked about giants in class. When Prather called to ask if it was a critical thinking lesson, the teacher reportedly said it was just an intriguing topic.
"Here are some other things people might find intriguing and might choose to share with their classes: Bigfoot, flat Earth, Atlantis, the Bermuda triangle, that the pyramids were built by aliens," Prather said.
A microbiology researcher spoke in favor of the bill. Donald Ewart said science has been used to promote ideological and political agendas.
"The teacher and student should have the right to discuss and analyze all the scientific evidence about issues like climate change or evolution, including dissenting scientific views," Ewart said.
Dale Denwalt
Dale Denwalt has closely followed state policy and politics since his first internship as an Oklahoma Capitol reporter in 2006. He graduated from Northeastern State University in his hometown of Tahlequah. Denwalt worked as a news reporter in... Read more ›
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