Problems with U.S. science education regarding evolution?

Yes, I took IB Biology courses for three years (9th, 11th, and 12th grade, graduated in 2002) in Florida and left with only a partial understanding of evolution. Though that might be my own fault, I still feel that more time should be spent teaching the subject in Biology courses. Nearly every concept in Biology ties in to evolution, and it can be taught in a way that reduces religious and ignorant people complaining about it if natural selection and random mutations are emphasized.

I don't think it is really nescessary to teach human evolution in high school. It could be optional, but I think it is more useful to focus on the core concepts in evolution. For example, students could be taught about bacterial resistance to antibiotics as an illustration of mutation, and about the evolution of foods such as corn from teosinte as an example of artificial selection. The peppered moth is a good example too. Human evolution is pretty complex, and may be too controversial. It might be alright to let the students learn it on their own through optional projects or writing assignments where they can pick a topic.