The National Center for Science Education (whose new website is very snazzy if you haven't seen it yet) is reporting that the Florida science standards might be put up again for vote. This past year, evolution was finally and correctly represented as a "fundamental concept underlying all of biology." But there might be a glitch as language arts, social studies, math, and science might need to be revised so that they are sufficiently under the umbrella of the "Next Generation."

Florida Statute 1003.41 seeks to create the "Next Generation Sunshine State Standards that establish the core content of the curricula to be taught in this state and that specify the core content knowledge and skills that K-12 public school students are expected to acquire." Here we have the law of unintended consequences at work. As in all of policies, the words "Next Generation" are fuzzy enough to allow legislators, advocates, and lobbyists to define whatever their particular agenda item as part of the "Next Generation" and that their opponents' ideas are antiquated. How could this affect evolution education in Florida?

All of these new standards need to be adopted by December 31, 2011. These could include the evolution standards that some legislators, school board members, parents, or lobbyists like Disco 'Tute attorney Casey Luskin and his fellow creationists could lobby the state government to change. We know that this is already a possibility. Florida Citizens for Science report that Brian Moore, member of the Joint Administrative Procedures Committee (JAPC which works with Florida Department of Education to work out the Deparment's rules), "opined that the standards that were revised and approved prior to the passage of SB 1908 are not “Next Generation” as required by the new law."

Over at EdWeek, they report that Moore:

wasn't making any judgment about the scientific merits of the new standards. His only interest is what the law requires, and in this case, it appears that the new science standards are out of compliance, given the requirement that such documents be approved as "Next Generation" standards. So they'd have to be approved with this designation by 2011.

It's unclear what happens next. It's possible, Moore explained, that Florida's commissioner of education could seek to have various experts certify that the recently approved science standards comply with the Next Generation law. But it appears likely that new standards would have to be re-approved in some form by the state board of education.

It seems that procedural rules within the Florida 1003.41 might simply require that all standards passed before it came into effect on July 1, 2008 will need to be passed again to reach consensus on whether standard X (evolution for example) is sufficiently part of Florida's "Next Generation."

This is, I think, quite unfortunate and perhaps also necessary. The science standards that passed in the last year took an enormous effort and overcame a lot of resistance from creationists supported by the Disco 'Tute and others. Following their adoption, Rep. Rhonda Storms tried to get one of the oh-so lovely "academic freedom" bills (SB 2692) through the legislature. Thankfully, it died. I'm afraid that the fight will renew if the science standards come up for review under the new definition. It may not happen if the JAPC committee member's judgement is not held widely. But this is politics and it's worth being cautious and skeptical, especially when the Disco 'Tute and other creationist opportunists are on the march.