TALLAHASSEE (FLV) – The School Board introduced it might replace the AP African American Research course after the Florida Division of Schooling rejected the preliminary model resulting from lack of “instructional worth” and “historic accuracy.”
The School Board stated it might launch the course’s “official framework,” which has been within the works since March 2022 to exchange the preliminary pilot course framework. The revised program framework is predicted to be launched Feb. 1, which is the primary day of Black Historical past Month.
“Earlier than a brand new AP course is made broadly accessible, it’s piloted in a small variety of excessive colleges to collect suggestions from excessive colleges and faculties. The official course framework incorporates this suggestions and defines what college students will encounter on the AP Examination for school credit score and placement,” the School Board stated. “We’re grateful for the contributions of specialists, lecturers, and college students and stay up for sharing the framework broadly.”
A spokesperson for the Florida Division of Schooling, Alex Lanfranconi, stated the division is glad the School Board acknowledged that the initially submitted course curriculum is “problematic” and was inspired by the Board’s willingness to amend.
“AP programs are standardized nationwide, and on account of Florida’s sturdy stance in opposition to id politics and indoctrination, college students throughout the nation will consequentially have entry to an traditionally correct, unbiased course,” Lanfranconi stated.
As Governor DeSantis stated, African American Historical past is American Historical past, and we won’t permit any group to make use of a tutorial course as a gateway for indoctrination and a political agenda. We stay up for reviewing the School Board’s adjustments and count on the elimination of content material on Crucial Race Concept, Black Queer Research, Intersectionality and different matters that violate our legal guidelines.
Florida Division of Schooling
The DeSantis administration had beforehand rejected the course Jan. 19, citing it’s a “automobile for a political agenda” that’s ambiguous and “could be crammed with further ideological materials.”
The training division had beforehand instructed the School Board in a letter that it may well come again to the desk with “lawful, traditionally correct content material” and the division could be keen to reopen the dialogue.
“As Governor DeSantis has said, our school rooms can be a spot for training, not indoctrination,” Gov. Ron DeSantis’ Press Secretary Bryan Griffin stated when the course was initially rejected.
At the moment, the Board launched a statement to the Related Press saying the African American research class continues to be in improvement and its content material is topic to vary with enter from a wide range of sources. The Board stated the brand new program could be examined in 60 colleges earlier than providing it nationwide.
“The method of piloting and revising course frameworks is a normal a part of any new AP course, and frameworks typically change considerably in consequence,” the School Board’s assertion learn.
The division’s rejection letter didn’t level out particular examples of concern, nonetheless, a dive into the course’s syllabus confirmed themes of Crucial Race Concept and intersectionality woven all through. Intersectionality argues that classes akin to race, class, and gender overlap and create techniques of discrimination or drawback.
Subjects akin to “colorblindness” are mentioned. One of many books listed that may “doubtless” be examined through the course contains “The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration within the Age of Colorblindness.” The e-book’s on-line summary argues that the U.S. prison justice system “capabilities as a up to date system of racial management– relegating hundreds of thousands to a everlasting second-class standing.”
Different “core ideas” college students could be taught embrace “racial capitalism” and “structural racism.” Racial capitalism is the idea that argues “the event, group and enlargement of capitalist society pursued basically racial instructions.”
DeSantis signed the “Cease WOKE” laws earlier this 12 months. It bans educators and office employers from educating Floridians that their “ethical character” is set by race, intercourse, or nationwide origin. The invoice additionally goals to ban firms from mandating workers undergo Crucial Race Concept coaching.
Editor’s word: This story has been up to date to incorporate Commissioner Manny Diaz’s tweet.
