FRANKFORT, Ky. (AP) - A legislative panel has rejected the state's proposed new science education standards, citing a groundswell of opposition across Kentucky.
The Administrative Regulations Review Subcommittee voted 5-1 on Wednesday to find the standards deficient. That doesn't necessarily mean they'll be tossed aside. Gov. Steve Beshear could implement them anyway.
Robert Bevins, president of Kentuckians for Science Education, said rejecting the new standards would be a horrible embarrassment for the state.
Martin Cothran, spokesman for The Family Foundation, said the standards should not be approved because they neglect basic science knowledge in favor of some of the hottest new theories about global warming and evolution.
The standards, developed through a consortium of states with input from educators and scientists across the nation, were adopted by the Kentucky Board of Education in June.
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