As Theodosius Dobzhansky once wrote, "nothing in biology makes sense except in light of evolution". Evolution is the support where biology, biotechnology, and modern medicine stand.

It is important to remember what evolution is: the change of a species over time. This change is accomplished through various means, but that is all evolution is. The theory of evolution is a heavily supported scientific theory that does not need to be “balanced” or compared with other non-scientific ideologies. Teaching evolution and good science is not an atheistic or liberal agenda. It is about teaching what the evidence supports.

The Texas State Board of Education is not focused on teaching good science. Instead, they are bringing their own personal biases and beliefs into their decisions on science.

Opponents and board members often speak of “top scientists” who disagree with evolution. This is far from the truth. According to the Pew Research Center for the People & the Press, “97% [of scientists] say humans and other living things have evolved over time” (Source). This statistic is a stark contrast of only 35% of Texans who believe humans have evolved from an earlier species (Texas Tribune).

The current science standards are not adequate for students. It is necessary to change the current standards to help Texas students better understand science and evolution.

The next step is to take action. In this link, you can find an outline to a letter to send to Gail Lowe. Denton is represented by Ms. Gail Lowe, chair of the Texas State Board of Education, who largely votes with the conservative block of the Texas SBOE. Ms. Lowe supported such language in the current science standards as “analyze and evaluate the sufficiency or insufficiency of natural selection to explain the complexity of the cell” and “critique scientific explanations … [and] examining all sides of scientific evidence of those scientific explanations”. These standards are not science.

You can send this letter to sboesupport@tea.state.tx.us , or you can mail it to:

Ms. Gail Lowe
11 Chris Avenue
Lampasas, TX 76550

It’s time to stand up for Texas and to stand up against the State Board of Education’s distrust of science.