Governor Taft Plans to Appoint
Four School Board Members

Will Not Name Ayone Who Doesn't Back Teaching of Evolution

The Ohio Board of Education is made up of 19 members - 11 elected and eight appointed by the governor. The terms of four gubernatorial appointees (Richard Baker, Stephen M. Millett, Jennifer L. Sheets, and Carl Wick) expire December 31, 2006.

The December 6 Columbus Dispatch (registration required) reported that outgoing Governor Bob Taft plans to fill these vacancies before leaving office on January 7.

From the Dispatch story:

Looking back yesterday on his eight years as governor, Bob Taft said one of the lessons he learned was to ensure that potential appointees to the state Board of Education don't support teaching intelligent design in public-school science classes.

"I learned that lesson about four years ago," Taft said, a reference to previous appointees who backed intelligent design, the idea that life is too complex to have evolved without an unnamed intelligence, perhaps God.

Taft said he plans to appoint four new members to the board before he leaves office and that he will not name anyone who doesn't back the teaching of evolution.

"I want people who are really committed to teaching good science in school, and I think that intelligent design does not play a role in the science curriculum," Taft said.