1. There are still places in the US where our _current_ standards are world class ( boston is given as an example )
2. This quote """ The first draft, released in May, explicitly included evolution and climate change. A second draft will be available for comment this fall. """
Why, why as your drafting standards for something that could help all americans do you intentionally politicise it. You have now turned this from something everyone would agree with ( We need to educate our children better ) to something that people will draw up battle lines off of. I understand that people see the denayal of these two aspects as a marker of an anti-science mindset, but the solution is not to just draw the line in the sand and use the tynnary of the majority as a hammer to force your changes through.
Prediction, this will turn political and nothing profitable will get done and a majority of america will continue to see its education standards fall.