Vouchers, and began compiling a database
of creationism-teaching schools that have
accepted public money. In Florida, Kopplin
found 164 schools that fit the bill, all of whom,
according to Kopplin, have participated in the
state's McKay Scholarships for Students with
Disabilities Program.
One of the schools Kopplin found was Family
Life. The K-8 school's website lists its cur-
ricula grade by grade. Kopplin zeroed in
on the school's use of textbooks by A Beka
Book (Excellence in Education From a
Christian Perspective), Apologia (created
"to help families learn, live, and defend the
Christian faith"), Bob Jones ("Christ-centered
resources for education, edification, & evan-
gelism") and others.
According to the Family Life site, Apologia
provides the school's seventh- and eighth-
grade science textbooks. Apologia's website
describes the series: "ideal for those who love
science and those who aren't so sure, our Jr.
and Sr. High science texts make comprehen-
sion easy, education solid, and God's work in
Creation clear."
Florida Department of Education Press
Secretary Cheryl Etters tells The Sarasota
News Leader that seven McKay students
are currently enrolled at the school and that
the school has received slightly more than
$141,000 in state funds since 2008. The McKay
program is a school choice initiative launched
in 1999 that allows students with special
needs to enroll in private rather than public
schools. According to Etters, private schools
Zack Kopplin on Keeping Creationism out of Public Classrooms. Video courtesy of Vimeo.com
Click to watch the video
Sarasota News Leader March 7, 2014 Page 55
