The administration of Florida governor Ron DeSantis has barred a new AP course on African American studies from being taught in high schools, arguing that it violates state law and is historically inaccurate.
The idea was denied in a letter sent last week by the state education department to the College Board, which regulates AP programs.
Officials from the Florida Department of Education did not disclose exactly what information the state found unacceptable, but they did say, “As presented, the content of this course is inexplicably in violation of Florida law and significantly devoid of educational value.”
The letter stated, “should College Board be willing to return to the table in the future with legally permissible and historically accurate content, (the education department) will always be willing to reopen the discussion.”
The College Board stated in a statement, “Like all new AP courses, AP African American Studies is undergoing a rigorous, multi-year pilot phase in which feedback from teachers, students, scholars, and policymakers is collected.”
The statement added, “The process of piloting and revising course frameworks is a standard component of any new AP course, and as a result, frameworks frequently undergo substantial revisions.”
The course is described as interdisciplinary on the College Board website, touching on literature, arts, humanities, political science, geography, and science. The pilot initiative is launching in sixty schools across the nation before expanding to more schools. According to its website, the organization has been creating the course for more than a decade.
DeSantis, a potential GOP presidential candidate in 2024, has criticized what he refers to as liberal ideals in schools, including lectures on critical race theory, which investigates systematic racism and has become a common target for conservatives.
In 2016, the governor signed the Stop WOKE Act, which limits some dialogues and analyses based on race in schools and businesses. The law prohibits instruction stating, among other things, that persons of one race are innately prejudiced or should feel remorse for previous actions committed by others of the same race.
Recent requests from the governor’s budget office to state universities for information on spending on programs relating to diversity, equity, and inclusion, as well as critical race theory, have raised worries about future cuts to financing for such activities.
Sharon Courtney, an instructor of African American studies at a high school in Peekskill, New York, reported that her students were “shocked” to find that Florida had banned the course. She defined it as a course on African history that also discusses the experiences of Africans following their arrival in North America.
It’s history that hasn’t been typically taught in the United States from kindergarten through high school, but it’s also history that, once recognized and understood, might transform and enhance race relations.
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