Date: Mon, 12 Jul 1999
Subject: Discussion about evolution with members of the Kansas Board of Education
Dear Maxine,
You may know that a large creationist effort to thwart any inclusion of evolution in the new Kansas curriculum frameworks for science is being mounted in Kansas.  The Kansas Board of Education will vote on the issue next month.  At this time, the Board is evenly divided about whether evolution should be included.  An article that appeared today in the L.A. Times describing these new efforts in several states is appended at the end of this message.
Several days ago, the Center received a call from Dr. John Staver, a professor of science education at Kansas State University and the current president of the Association of Educators for Teachers of Science.  Dr. Staver was looking for people from the National Academies to speak with several new members of the Kansas Board of Education who will be in Washington next weekend for a conference (they also are evenly divided about the issue).
I just spoke with him and found out about the details of that visit.  The Board members will be at the Wyndham Bristol Hotel and would be available to talk about this issue for 30-45 minutes this Friday, July 16, at 5:00 PM.  I told Dr. Staver that the timing is difficult with such short notice and at the time that the Board of Education members would be available.  However, I said that I would try to contact NAS members who are in the Washington area to check about their availability to speak with this group.
I realize that this is terribly short notice, but given your involvement with the "Teaching About Evolution" report, I thought I would check with you.  I also will contact Dillon Ripley at the Smithsonian.  Harold Pratt indicated that he could meet with these people and I also am trying to get Irene Eckstrand, an evolutionary biologist at NIH and the chair of the education council of the Society for the Study of Evolution, to participate.
Please let me know if you are able to join this meeting and I will provide you with additional details.  Thank you in advance for your consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
Jay Labov