The Wyoming House of Representatives took the first step towards removing a controversial budget footnote that kept the State Board of Education from considering the Next Generation Science Standards. Speaker of the House Kermit Brown says that legislating via a budget footnote is improper. Thermopolis Republican Nathan Winters challenged that statement. Winters says that many publications rated the Next Generation standards as average at best. He says the State Board of Education was moving too quickly towards adopting those science standards.
“It is the prerogative of this body to slow decision making processes in boards of this state when we see issues that come up and we are the elected representatives of the people.”
Others also said that the standards have received lukewarm support. House Minority Leader Mary Throne challenged those statements.
“Read the standards. Don’t just rely on what some out of state organization tells us about our standards or any other standards. Why would we listen to them more than we would listen to our own science teachers.”
The bill will be debated for a 2nd time today.
