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Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education, Inc. is a non-profit educational organization that promotes the education of the public about the methods and values of science and advocates excellence in the science curriculum. Activities include participation in educational and scientific organization conferences, workshops for science teachers, operation of a speakers' bureau, maintenance of an informational list serve, and related activities.
The formation of OESE was prompted by the attempts in the Oklahoma State Textbook Committee in 1999 to diminish the teaching of evolution by the introduction of creationist textbook disclaimers to be inserted into any textbook used in public schools that discussed evolution. There have been bills introduced almost every year since 1999 for legislation that would allow teaching creationism in science courses; OESE has opposed all such attempts.
ACTION ALERT: ASK GOVERNOR HENRY TO VETO HB 2633 WITH REP. KERN'S "RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINTS ANTIDISCRIMINATION ACT" ADDED AS AN AMENDMENT IN THE SENATE.
This may be our last chance to kill this awful bill that would allow religion into public schools beyond that already allowed. A flood of messages opposing the bill might well convince the Governor of the problems such a bill would have in discouraging economic development in high tech/med tech industries. The bill would again portray Oklahoma as a backward state. Messages can be short-- just express your strong opposition to the bill and ask for the Governor to exercise his veto for the good of the State!
On the Governor's web site at:
http://www.governor.state.ok.us/
One can click on this link, complete the form and send:
Message to the Governor
Perhaps a phone call or Fax expressing your opposition to HB 2633 to the number below would be better, but in any case do send a message! Time is important and messages should go as soon as possible, since the Governor could act on the bill at any time.
Office of the Governor
2300 N. Lincoln Blvd., Room 212
Oklahoma City, OK 73105
Telephone: (405) 521-2342
Fax: (405) 521-3353
EXPLANATION. The original bill (HB 2211) that contained Kern's language (now most of it is in HB 2633) passed the House (71- 25), was then not heard in the Senate Rules Committee (an attempt by the Senate leadership to stop the bill), but then re-appeared as a floor amendment in the Senate. An attempt by the Democrats to move the original HB 2633 forward without the Kern wording ended in a tie (24-24) strictly along party lines. Thus, the attempt to kill the religious stuff died on the tie vote. With the title not stricken, the bill as amended could not go back to a conference committee and must then be voted up or down on the House floor. The bill will pass in the House given the earlier vote on HB 2211. Given that the bill met strong opposition and died in the Senate Rules Committee and was almost stopped in the 24-24 tie in the Senate, the Governor can see that this is a controversial item that many Democrats opposed (including all Democrats in the Senate); this should give him strong backing for a veto.
NUMBERS DO COUNT. An overwhelming response to this request for messages to Gov. Henry may well give him the backing and courage to veto HB 2633 as amended. Please take a few minutes to let him know. Do not assume that he will or will not use a veto. Everyone concerned should respond! For the past nine years we have been able to stop such creationist/religious nonsense aimed at our public schools. Let's not let this year be the exception.
NEWS
TEACHERS' EVOLUTION WORKSHOP
Thanks to a grant from the Delta Foundation, Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education (OESE, http://www.biosurvey.ou.edu/oese) is organizing a professional development workshop for Oklahoma high school science teachers and undergraduate and graduate students in science education on Teaching Evolution in the 21st Century to be held the weekend of October 24th - 26th, 2008 at the University of Oklahoma Biological Station (sponsor) on Lake Texoma. Attendees will earn a certificate of participation for professional development credit.
Topics covered will include: internet resources on teaching evolution, the logic of scientific investigation, evo-devo, genomics, the fossil record and macroevolution, dealing with classroom and community controversy, and the various forms of creationism, including intelligent design and "teach the controversy". Emphasis will be on the scientific evidences and mechanisms of evolution.
Instructors include Dr. Ola Fincke (Zoology, OU), Dr Victor Hutchison (Zoology, OU), Dr. Frank Sonleitner (Zoology, OU), Dr. Richard Broughton (Zoology, OU), Dr Joseph Maness (Biology, SWOSU), Dr Stanley Rice (Biology, SEOSU), Bob Melton (Science Curriculum Specialist, Putnam City Schools).
SCHOLARSHIPS TO COVER ALL COSTS (room, board, textbooks and other materials) ARE AVAILABLE TO THE 30 PARTICIPANTS SELECTED. Scholarships also include a check for $200 for travel and other expenses. Deadline for applications will be September 15, 2008. Earlier application is advised. Applicants will be notified of acceptance by e-mail on or about October 1st.
Additional information and registration forms are on-line at:
Information on the University of Oklahoma Biological Station, including maps and directions, description of facilities, etc., is at
To sign up for the Oklahoma Evolution list serve and for many teaching resources, news, events, books, humor, petition on science only in science classes, and much, more see the rest of this site.
 Clergy Letter Project: All clergy members are encouraged to go to this link to sign the nationwide outpouring of support for teaching evolution. For too long, the misperception that science and religion are inevitably in conflict has created unnecessary division and conflict concerning the teaching of evolution. The project is also described at the link.
OESE Joins Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science.
Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education (OESE) has joined the Coalition on the Public Understanding of Science (COPUS), organized coordinate efforts to improve public outreach and science education. The goals of COPUS are:
- Building the COPUS network - Underpinning the COPUS effort is a growing network of organizations and individuals who share a common goal: engaging sectors of the public in science and increasing their appreciation and understanding of the scientific enterprise. Find out more about participating in the COPUS Network.
- Developing state-level benchmark science-indicator reports on the importance of science to the U.S. economy and standard-of-living
- Supporting a national effort to promote the public understanding of science in a year-long celebration: Year of Science 2009 (also available: Year of Science 2009 fact sheet [PDF])
- Integrating efforts with the Understanding Science website project currently under development at the University of California, Berkeley
OESE has listed the Teachers' Workshop to be held at the end of this month at Lake Texoma in the COPUS schedule of events. The Sam Noble Oklahoma Museum of Natural History (SNOMNH) has also joined. COPUS is planning to celebrate a Year of Science in 2009, the Darwin bicentennial year. Apparently this is (so far) the only national group to undertake such a plan.
OKLAHOMANS FOR EXCELLENCE IN SCIENCE EDUCATION URGES DEFEAT OF HB 2211, RELIGIOUS VIEWPOINTS ANTIDISCRIMINAION ACT
The true purpose of HB 2211, the disingenuously named "Religious Viewpoints Antidiscrimination Act," ALLOWS proselytizing in public schools. Its provisions purportedly aimed at protecting religious freedom are superfluous -- First Amendment Constitutional law already protects legitimate student expressions of religion. HB 2211 includes provisions that aim, unconstitutionally, at using state power to privilege sectarian religious dogma by allowing it to intrude into public education. An affront to freedom of conscience, HB 2211 would force school children to listen to sermons, under the auspices of school administrators. If this bill is passed, Oklahoma will face First Amendment litigation.
HB 2221 is anti-scientific, seeking the introduction of religious creationism in science courses. HB 2211 would damage science education. Students would be allowed to substitute sectarian religious explanations for scientific and historical explanations without correction. Non-scientific religious creationist accounts of natural phenomena could be given as answers on exams without those answers being corrected by science teachers, making a farce out of science education in Oklahoma classrooms, ultimately hindering the economy's high-tech and med-tech sectors, sectors vital to the state's prosperity.
Press Release from Oklahoma Academy of Science concerning HB 2211
The President of the Oklahoma Academy of Science has issued the following sttatement regarding HB 2211 currently under consideration by the Oklahoma House of Representatives:
"The Oklahoma Academy of Science is seriously concerned about threats to the quality of science education in our public schools. The members demonstrated their concern by adopting a Statement on Science, Religion, and Teaching Evolution at their recent Annual Meeting. HB 2211 is a major threat to the quality of science education and should not be adopted.
A basic understanding by all citizens of what science has learned over decades of observation and experimentation about how the natural world works is crucial for continued prosperity of our nation and our state. Equally important for the future is training in the scientific process. This process, of posing hypotheses, testing the hypotheses and logically evaluating the results, was central to US preeminence in the world. Oklahoma, if it wants to be competitive nationally in science and technology based industry, cannot afford to dilute or hamper the science education of its citizens.
Enactment of HB 2211 will poison education in science. Teachers will be prohibited from guiding students into understanding how the natural world works. They will not be allowed to guide students into scientific analysis of subject matter. For example, in class discussion of natural variation in populations of individuals and selective forces acting on those populations, a student will be allowed to raise ideas derived from creationism. These ideas are non-scientific. They can not be tested and have no place in a science class. Yet, the teacher will be prevented from explaining that such ideas have no scientific support. The bill further requires the teacher to give full credit to non-scientific ideas when they are part of a student's homework assignment or part of an examination.
HB2211 may seem attractive to some individuals because it also supports many other activities of religious groups in the public school setting that are already possible and legal. There is no need to adopt HB 2211 to allow these ongoing activities. Inclusion of the provisions allowing the inclusion of religion in all classes appears to be a means that the drafters of the resolution have used to gain support for the assault on science they are engaged in. The bill has been likened by others to a Trojan Horse, introducing undesired clauses into a palatable, but unnecessary, package.
The Oklahoma Academy of Science believes that "Science and religion can coexist harmoniously if people understand the strengths and limitations of each field." Many of its members have learned to allow religion and science to coexist in their world-views. They assert that "science teachers should not be required to teach ideas, models, and theories that are extra-scientific" as they would be under HB 2211."
EVENTS
PLANS AT OU FOR CELEBRATING 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF DARWIN'S BIRTH IN 2009.
As we approach the big 200th anniversary year (2009) of Darwin's birth, big plans are being made at OU to celebrate. A committee representing several departments, led by faculty from the History of Science, is actively engaged. A special web site has been set up so interested persons can follow the plans as they develop and access information about Darwin. The site is: http://www.ou.edu/darwin/ . It is under development so check back regularly for updates.
SECOND TEACHERS' WORKSHOP ON EVOLUTION AT OU BIOLOGICAL STATION, 28-30 SEPTEMBER 2007
Middle and high school science teachers from across Oklahoma participated in the second week-end workshop on teaching evolution at the OU Biological Station. The workshop was organized by OESE and sponsored by the OU Biological Station. Scholarships for the entire cost of the event were provided to students by a grant from the DELTA Foundation and a contribution from All Souls Unitarian Church in Tulsa.
Instructors for the event were Dr. Ola Fincke (Zoology, OU), Dr Victor Hutchison (Zoology, OU), Dr. Frank Sonleitner (Zoology, OU), and Dr. Joseph
Maness (Biology, SWOSU), Dr Stanley Rice (Biology, OCU), Bob Melton
(Science Curriculum Specialist, Putnam City Schools), Dr. Julie Angle (high school teacher and President of Oklahoma Science Teachers Association.
Topics included: 'Why Intelligent Design is Not Science But is Religion and Politics,' 'On the Nature of Science and the Logic of Testing,' 'Evolution as Fact and Theory: The Power of an Evolutionary Perspective,' 'Evolution Education: An NSF Chautauqua Course,' 'What DNA Tells Us About Evolution,' 'Group Discussions on Evolution Teaching with Examples of Exercises for Classroom Use,' 'Macroevolution: The Fossil Record and Developmental Biology,' 'Internet Resources for Teaching Evolution,' 'Use of the Evolution Dialogues in Religious Communities,' 'Teaching Evolution in Oklahoma Public School Classrooms.'
Schools represented included the following: Putnam City, Haskell, Union, Norman, Heritage Hall, Berryhill, Lawton, Moss, Stroud, Bartlesville, Marietta, Rock Creek, Byng, Weatherford, Clinton, Moore, Jenks, Classen School of Advanced Studies (OKC), Capital Hill (OKC), Lake Academy (Sand Springs), and Carl Albert (Midwest City).
This petition supports the teaching of science and only science in Oklahoma public school science classes. The petition was approved by the Oklahoma Academy of Science, Oklahomans for Excellence in Science Education (OESE), Oklahoma Mainstream Baptists, OK Chapter of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Tulsa and OKC Interfaith Alliances, and representatives from several Oklahoma colleges. Go to the petition page to sign the petition online or download a copy to gather signatures.
The OKEVOL-L List Serve was established to alert and inform
all interested parties in the evolution/creationism debate in
Oklahoma. Messages will be sent only with approval of the list
managers so that traffic will be kept to a minimum. Information on
proposed legislative actions dealing with attempts to place
creationist materials into public schools, important scheduled public
meetings or debates on evolution/creationism, and any significant
other news items dealing with these issues or related items on
attempts at inappropriate or unconstitutional censorship will be
sent to subscribers.
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