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tems inevitably causes political and social

Because of that, political fighting is inherent

conflict.

to the system.

All public school conflicts have the poten-

National Flashpoints

tial to inflict social pain, but the most

Intelligent Design. Conflicts last year over

wrenching are those that pit people's funda-

the inclusion of intelligent design theory in

mental values--values that cannot be proven

science classes were really just the most recent

right or wrong, and that deserve equal

skirmishes in the seemingly endless evolution-

respect by government--against each other.

creationism struggle, a battle that pits people

Because of the deeply divisive and insoluble

who want only evolution taught in biology

nature of such conflicts (and because it would

classes against those who want children to

be almost impossible to track every single dis-

learn about perceived flaws in Darwin's theory

pute in every school district across the coun-

or alternative explanations--often religious--

try), we tracked these sorts of values conflicts

for the origins of life.

around the nation over the last academic year.

There were two major intelligent design bat-

In doing so, we discovered that whereas most

tlegrounds in 2005­06: Dover, Pennsylvania,

conflicts had unique immediate causes, there

and the entire state of Kansas. In Dover, a

were several common refrains that arose time

All public school

school district policy requiring biology stu-

and again. Moreover, we found that over the

conflicts have the

dents to hear a disclaimer stating that

last year only one state--Wyoming--appeared

Darwinian evolution is a theory, not a fact, and

to have dodged divisive, values-laden school

potential to

directing students to the intelligent design

warfare, and many states suffered numerous

inflict social

book Of Pandas and People eventually ended up

clashes. Even Wyoming suffered at least two

such conflicts as recently as 2003.5 In all, we

pain, but the

in a federal court. There, the policy was declared

unconstitutional. The damage, however, had

tracked nearly 150 values-driven public school

most wrenching

already been done. As ABC News reported a few

conflicts over the past year.

are those that

months after the school board approved the

Below are the general categories of these bat-

disclaimer, the people of Dover were deeply

tles in the 2005­06 academic year. None, clear-

pit people's

torn over the school board's actions, and it was

ly, garnered more national attention than

fundamental

not uncommon for townspeople to refuse to

wrestling matches over intelligent design, with

values against

even speak to those in their community who

18 states reporting some debate over it and con-

came down on the opposite side of the issue.

flicts in Kansas and Pennsylvania grabbing

each other.

"Suddenly," ABC News reported, "Dover was at

headlines across the country. Other flashpoints

war with itself."6

were almost as widespread, including clashes

over students' right to protest government poli-

Kansas, for its part, continued a long-run-

cies without facing punishment from govern-

ning roller coaster ride that has seen the state

mental entities (i.e., public schools) and tussles

board of education change its stance on evo-

over "abstinence only" sex education.

lution several times in recent years. In August

It is important to note, moreover, that the

2005, the board voted to include greater ques-

stories reported in this paper, and the trends

tioning of evolution in state science standards,

identified below, are based only on public

returning to a policy akin to one it enacted in

reports in the press. As a result, this study

1999 but reversed two years later. And this

may greatly understate the true number of val-

appears to have been followed by yet another

ues conflicts caused by public schooling.

reversal: In August 2006, the evolution-skeptic

Moreover, the bias in the numbers is toward

majority on the board was eliminated in pri-

school districts in and around large cities,

mary elections, likely switching the board back

where sizable media organizations operate.

to a pro-evolution majority.

Those factors further bolster the conclusion

Despite the focus on Dover and Kansas,

of this study: that forcing diverse people to

intelligent design provoked conflict nation-

support monolithic government school sys-

wide last year. President George W. Bush even

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