Earlier this week, Florida’s Board of Education voted 4-3 to approve new science standards that, unlike former standards, include evolution.

Although this may seem like a victory for pro-evolution groups, both sides of the argument have concerns about the revision.

The new standards require increased instruction in the “scientific theory of” evolution, an improvement over standards from 1996 that didn’t even mention evolution, instead calling it “change over time.” The standards also call evolution “the fundamental concept underlying all of biology.”

Groups advocating for intelligent design or those skeptical of Darwinian evolution wanted a provision to allow teachers to “engage students in a critical analysis of evidence” for and against evolution. Their request was denied.

But those who support teaching evolution in schools disapprove of the wishy-washy language--“theory” instead of “law” or “fact”--in the new standards.

“It doesn’t destroy them,” Joe Wolf, director of Florida Citizens for Science, told the Associated Press. “It weakens them.”

Instead of improving outdated standards, Florida’s board, in an attempt to appease both parties, seems to have thoroughly pleased no one. Taking the middle ground on this issue has produced confusing standards that leave instruction up to the subjectivity of the teacher.

Stacey Hollenbeck, ASBJ spring intern