In recent years, voters, educators and policymakers in a number of states have become involved in the debate over how public school students should learn about life's origins. The debate has taken place at various levels of state government, from legislatures to local school boards. In some states and localities, evolution opponents argue for academic freedom in an effort to grant teachers and students the right to question evolutionary theory. Supporters of teaching evolution counter that such efforts could replace science with religiously based notions in the classroom. Pew Forum put together a sampling of recent action in 14 states in which the teaching of evolution has stirred controversy.
Read the complete findings Fighting Over Darwin, State by State on the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life's Web site.