LEXINGTON, KY—The State School Board voted this morning to change the traditional B.C./A.D. dating system to a conglomeration of designations, a move that was criticized by The Family Foundation as a “capitulation to the winds of political correctness” and a move that will confuse students and teachers.

The Board voted down a motion to retain the exclusive use of “B.C.” (Before Christ) and “A.D.” (Anno Domini: in the year of the Lord) in references to historical events and instead approved a revised version of the state’s Program of Studies that uses both together: “B.C./B.C.E.” and “A.D./C.E.”  The vote to return to the traditional system only was apparently split along party lines, with board members appointed by Gov. Fletcher voting in favor, and Patton holdovers voting against.

“Now, instead of the ‘B.C./A.D.’ system, we have the ‘B.C./B.C.E./A.D./C.E.’ system,” said Martin Cothran, senior policy analyst for The Family Foundation of Kentucky.  “Leave it to education bureaucracy to come up with the acronym from Hell.”

“One of the problems with the original proposal to use the politically correct B.C.E./C.E. designation was that it would confuse students and teachers,” said Cothran.  “But the new ‘compromise’ proposal that includes both makes that problem even worse.  We might as well just junk the old dating system in favor of P.C.E./B.P.C.E’: the ‘Politically Correct Era’ and ‘Before the Politically Correct Era.’”

The action took place in the face of widespread media attention to the change, as well as comments by legislators and the Governor opposing the change.