High school students in Florida will not have the option to take Advanced Placement courses in African American studies after the Department of Education rejected the curriculum.
The Florida Department of Education sent a statement to WESH 2 News: “In its current form, the College Board’s AP African American Studies course lacks educational value and is contrary to Florida law. If the course comes into compliance and incorporates historically accurate content, the department will reopen the discussion.”
The department also says the curriculum “is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.”
Governor Ron DeSantis blocked the AP course, and is trying to change how children are taught in Florida. The Department of Education has rejected math textbooks over critical race theory, and defended a law that bans educators from having classroom discussions on sexual orientation or gender identity for kids in kindergarten through third grade.
Democratic state Sen. Geraldine Thompson says that the education department is trying to rewrite history to marginalize people of color.
“We don’t solve our problems by sweeping them under the rug and pretending like they don’t exist,” Thompson said. “This is a guise for dismissing the contributions of a whole portion of Florida citizens.”
Brevard County Republican lawmaker Randy Fine supports the rejection of the AP course.
“The Department of Education felt that the AP is teaching political theory and philosophy and critical race theory and not history,” Fine said. “History is allowed in Florida, but indoctrination is not.”
