Is Minnesota a "local choice" state? No!
A middle school science teacher in St. Paul has asked me to comment on the idea that Minnesota allows "local choice" when it comes to teaching evolution and creationism in the public school science classroom. Nothing could be further from the truth.
First of all, teaching evolutionary biology is mandatory. It's part of the statewide Minnesota science standards (the article is by Melanie Reap and Jamie Carnnell, MnCSE Board members who were on the State Standards Committee). (See also Judy Budreau's Standards Summary and Q&A on teaching evolution/creationism in Minnesota).
Second, there is no Minnesota state law that permits teaching creationism in the public schools, nor could one exist without violating the U.S. Constitution. The First Amendment contains an "establishment clause" that prohibits governments from promoting religion. Whenever state or local authorities have tried to force creationism into the science curriculum they have failed because the various guises of creationism (flood geology, scientific creationism, intelligent design) have always been found by the courts to be religious in nature. We Minnesotans are welcome to our private religious views, but like other U.S. citizens we don't get to use government resources to promote those religious views in public school science classrooms. (See Randy Moore's review of the legal issues).
So the idea that we are a "local choice" state is meaningful only in the following sense: a Minnesota school board or lone science teacher could choose to teach creationism alongside evolutionary biology, but doing so will risk disciplinary or civil action. Quite a choice!
Recent history is informative. Rodney LeVake, science teacher at Faibault Junior High School, was reassigned by fellow teacher and administrator Ken Hubert for making a "local choice" to teach creationism in his science classes. Civil suits followed, and the courts all the way up to the U.S. Supreme Court supported Mr. Hubert's actions. Incidentally, Mr. Hubert was honored recently by the Minnesota Science Teachers Association, the National Center for Science Education, and MnCSE for doing what was right for the teaching profession, in spite of personal costs.
While it did not occur in Minnesota, let's also remember that the school board of Dover, Pennsylvania made a "local choice" a few years ago. The consequences included a lost civil suit, national embarrassment, a hike in local taxes to pay court costs ($1,000,000), and election losses for all the pro-ID board members.That's the sort of "local choice" Minnesota would be better off avoiding.
Jim Curtsinger