“If we don’t listen to them, then we’re not doing our job,” she said.
Past debates in Kansas have pertained to key evolutionary concepts, such as a common origin for all life on Earth and how changes in species can create new ones.
The now-discarded 2005 standards included language from supporters of “intelligent design,” which says an intelligent cause is the best way to explain some complex and orderly features of the universe.
The first draft of the multi-state standards declares that evolution and its underlying mechanisms are “key to understanding both the unity and the diversity of life on Earth.” The standards also say evolution is among a few core concepts in life sciences that “have a long history and solid foundation based on the research evidence established by many scientists working across multiple fields.”
In April, a Tennessee bill that protects teachers who allow students in their classrooms to criticize evolution and other scientific theories, such as global climate change, became law when the governor refused to sign or veto it.
Tennessee, which is another of the 26 states taking part in the effort to draft common science standards, was the state where the nation’s first big legal battle over evolution was fought nearly 90 years ago.
Supporters said the legislation was intended to help students think critically; critics derided it as the “monkey bill” for attacking evolution.
For more news about science education, see:
Inquiry-based approach to science a hit with students
- New research challenges fears about AI in the classroom - February 5, 2026
- How the FY25 funding freeze impacts students across America - July 24, 2025
- ‘Buyer’s remorse’ dogging Common Core rollout - October 30, 2014