To the editor:

I believe there are misconceptions about the new science standards the Kansas Board of Education approved. Contrary to popular belief, the standards do not command that intelligent design be taught in Kansas public schools.

From the introduction to the Kansas Science Education Standards: “We also emphasize that the science curriculum standards do not include intelligent design.” The document acknowledges that the board “heard credible scientific testimony that indeed there are significant debates about the evidence for key aspects of chemical and biological evolutionary theory” but that “these standards neither mandate nor prohibit teaching about this scientific disagreement.”

Far from being a sop to fundamentalists, the standards seek to help students make informed and reasoned decisions. You can read more about it at www.kansasscience2005.com.

Troy Reimer,

Lawrence