Akron Beacon Journal: State school board race evolves into debate over whether religion should be part of the science curriculum
State school board races rarely generate much interest. But this year’s race in the Akron area is drawing national attention.
The issue heating up this race is the teaching of evolution.
The nonpartisan race for the District 7 school board seat includes two prominent names: former Congressman and former Akron Mayor Tom Sawyer and incumbent Deborah Owens Fink, a University of Akron marketing professor.
Owens Fink was a leader in the effort to adopt a controversial science curriculum standard and lesson plan calling for a critical analysis of evolution, Charles Darwin’s theory that life on Earth evolved over millions of years from common ancestors.
Sawyer was drafted to run by the newly formed Help Ohio Public Education. The group’s founders, Case Western Reserve University professors Patricia Princehouse and Lawrence Krauss, say the curriculum changes promoted intelligent design and were an effort to insert religion into the science curriculum.
In February, the state board rescinded the curriculum changes. The vote came after a federal judge in Pennsylvania rejected the teaching of intelligent design there, saying it is religion masquerading as science.Princehouse said a HOPE Web site endorsing Sawyer is drawing viewers from across the country and a reporter from the New York Times recently interviewed Krauss.
“People perceive the Ohio race as having the potential for real positive change for addressing root causes in poor science education,” Princehouse said.
Princehouse said that Owens Fink consistently thumbs “her nose at education experts, science experts and parents.”
Owens Fink, a Bath Township Republican, said she’s not running on the “evolution issue,” but rather the “broad base that I have brought to the table, most specifically this issue of really increasing the rigor in the curriculum” and aligning it with “what students should know and be able to do.”
During her tenure on the Ohio school board, she said, scores on state-mandated tests have improved “because we were really focusing on being very clear about what students should know.”
Owens Fink calls Princehouse, Krauss and other scientists supportive of Sawyer “members of the dogmatic scientific community” who want to stifle discussion about “the strengths and weaknesses of evolutionary theory.”
Sawyer rejected Owens Fink’s suggestion that his campaign is narrowly focused on the debate over teaching evolution.
Sawyer, an Akron Democrat, said his platform embraces the “broad range of the curriculum — the building blocks that comprise a thorough efficient education… Science education is an important part of that.”
He said he will also campaign about addressing school funding woes and a “stronger role for the state board of education.”
Owens Fink and Sawyer agree that more money will be spent on this race than usual.
“I’m going to do what it takes…. I’ve not had a major competitor before,” Owens Fink said. “This is new territory.”
Also filing for the District 7 school board election on Nov. 7 were Dave Kovacs, a philosophy student at the University of Akron, and John Jones, an employee of Ohio Edison Co. The filing deadline was Thursday.
Kovacs is making an aggressive run at the seat.
He developed a campaign Web site about six months ago in which he outlines his issues, including closing the achievement gap for minorities, disparities in school funding and corporate advertising in schools.
On Thursday, he criticized Owens Fink’s support of the controversial science standard, as well as charter schools. He’d like to see state-mandated testing de-emphasized and a return to a focus on a traditional curriculum.
“My issue is teach children to think for themselves,” he said.
Competitor Jones said simply: “I’m a common man and I want practical change.”
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