Issue:

In 1999, the Kansas Board of Education (KBE) took most references to evolution out of its official science curriculum. Although Kansas appoints credentialed teachers, it is its local and state school boards that set education policy. One of the 10 members serving on the KBE today says he believes that God created the universe 6,500 years ago. Although the state's teaching standards were rewritten in 2001 to restore the teaching of evolution, in 2005 a new creationist majority established new guidelines saying that students ought also to be familiar with criticisms of it. Control of the KBE has changed again and votes on new standards of learning are coming up.

Belief:

Education is too important to be left to elections. Kansas has state universities of considerable reputation in science. If there is to be a state science curriculum, university faculties are more qualified to devise it than any elected state school board.