A national tide of criticism

and ridicule directed toward Kathy Cox after she suggested omitting the

word "evolution" from Georgia's new biology curriculum

apparently took its toll by midweek.

On Thursday, the state school

superintendent issued a formal statement apologizing for creating the

furor, announcing that "evolution" would be returned to the

working drafts of the proposed Georgia Performance Standards.

"I made the decision to

remove the word 'evolution' from the draft of the proposed biology

curriculum in an effort to avoid controversy that would prevent people

from reading the substance of the document itself," Cox said in a

statement released around noon Thursday, when an earlier scheduled press

conference was canceled. "Instead, a greater controversy ensued."

Cox, a Republican from Peachtree

City�and member of Peachtree City United Methodist Church, insisted the

decision had nothing to do with her faith or pressures from religious

conservatives offended that the theory of evolution is often taught as

fact, though never proven.

From close political ally Gov.

Sonny Perdue to former President Jimmy Carter, Cox was widely denounced

for taking the stand, even though as many as five states - including

Florida - also have removed "evolution" from state biology

curriculums.

Her argument last week was

that "evolution" is a buzzword that stirs heated emotions on

both sides of the debate about how mankind came to be, and is best avoided

in classrooms.

The theory of "evolution"

would still be presented, she argued, but that point seemed lost on critics

from across the country who lept at the chance to denouce the move as

more evidence that Georgia as a redneck, rural Southern backwater.

Among the organized efforts

to rally public opinion against Cox is the Web site www.kathycoxevolve.com,

which included dozens of news links and hundreds of message board postings

from around the nation, running at least 10-1 against her position.

"I am here to tell you

that I misjudged the situation, and I want to apologize for that,"

Cox said in her statement. "I want you to know today that I will

recommend to the teacher teams that the word 'evolution' be

put back in the curriculum."

The changes to the science

terminology are just a part of the massive overhaul of the state-mandated

curriculum taught to every Georgia public school student.

Public review and revisions

of the new standards will continue through Spring. The state Board of

Education is tentatively set to vote on passage in May, which is necessary

in order to start altering the methods and subject matter taught in the

earliest grades.

The Department of Education

Web site (www.gadoe.org) has features that allow for teachers, students,

parents and others across the state to offer feedback and suggest change.