County school board adopts controversial science textbook
By Darleen Principe darleenp@theacorn.com

After extensive review and consideration, the Ventura County Board of Education voted 3-1 last Thursday to adopt a seventhgrade science textbook that critics say portrays the theory of evolution as fact and contains other content that some call questionable.

Area 4 trustee Dean Kunicki, representing Simi Valley, Moorpark and Santa Susana Knolls, was absent from the meeting.

Of the four trustees present, only Ron Matthews, who originally expressed concern about Pearson Prentice Hall's "Focus on California Life Science" during a board meeting in February, remained opposed to the textbook in the final vote.

Despite his opposition to the book, Matthews nevertheless recommended it to the board.

"Out of the other textbooks that we did review, this was the least onerous," said Matthews, who represents Oxnard and El Rio. Matthews said he'd reviewed a total of seven available state-approved texts since the board's wellpublicized February meeting on the subject.

The action came four months after the original motion to approve the text was tabled because of a written objection by San Fernando Valley resident Carl Olson, whose daughter is a student at Simi Valley High School.

In February, Olson asserted that the book was inaccurate, causing the board to delay a decision.

"The publisher, Prentice Hall, has a reputation for mistakes," Olson said at last week's meeting.

He and several other members of the community addressed the hearing before the board moved to vote.

"I've studied every scientific journal and there's no proof of evolution anywhere," said Ed Rockland of Thousand Oaks. "In order to be scientific, it must be testable, supportable and disprovable."

While most of the public comment was geared toward challenging the alleged inadequacies of the book, John Gentry, a retired teacher from Ventura, said he had no objection to the text but wanted to see the other side in the debate over the origin of human existence included.

"Let it be there, but put in the other side too," Gentry said. "Are we trying to educate students on this subject or inculcate them?"

Gentry's comment was in keeping with a Discovery Institute video presentation that followed the public comment period.

The video, which described the potential problems the institute sees with Darwinism and presented fossil evidence, also addressed whether high school students have the ability to critically analyze such subjects as evolution in an educational format.

"It's amazing what schools keep from students," said trustee Chris Valenzano, who motioned to adopt the book under the condition that the board communicate with state officials to improve science education.

When Valenzano's first motion died for lack of a second, Marty Bates, the county school board president, emphasized the board's need to make a final decision.

The trustees considered options including supplementing the text, offering online resources, providing further training for faculty and refusing to adopt the book.

Valenzano argued that it was important to adopt the book despite its take on evolution in order to remain in compliance with state law. The adoption would also prevent the board from putting students at a disadvantage by withholding information they would potentially need for standardized tests, he said.

To comply with state law as directed by Williams v. State of California, the county board is responsible for adopting an updated textbook within 24 months of state approval, said Associate Superintendent of Educational Services Sandra Shackelford.

According to Larry Dunn of the California State Board of Education, "Focus on California Life Science" was approved by the state in November and will remain on the state-approved curriculum at least until 2012.

Before taking a second vote, Bates appointed trustee Mary Louise Peterson to a committee that will seek assistance from the California County Boards of Education and the state Board of Education in expanding the science curriculum.

After assuring the public that adoption of the textbook would not deter the board from moving forward with addressing the state, Valenzano renewed his motion, which was seconded by Bates.

The trustee asked that communicating with Sacramento regarding the issue be placed as a future agenda item.