Headline RoundupJanuary 20th, 2023

Florida Blocks New AP African-American Studies Curriculum

Summary from the AllSides News Team

The Florida Department of Education blocked a new College Board AP African-American Studies curriculum, determining the course to be "inexplicably contrary to Florida law" and lacking "educational value."

The Details: The AP African-American Studies course is a new addition to the College Board curriculum, currently being tested in around 60 schools. According to the AP website, the course is crafted to "explore the vital contributions and experiences of African Americans" through the study of "literature, the arts and humanities, political science, geography, and science." Last year, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis passed the "Stop W.O.K.E. Act," which banned the teaching of critical race theory in Florida. A handful of other states passed similar legislation targeting critical race theory.

Key Quotes: Jeremy Redfern, deputy press secretary for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R), was quoted in Newsweek calling the curriculum "a vehicle for a political agenda" that "leaves large, ambiguous gaps that can be filled with additional ideological material, which we will not allow," adding that Florida classrooms "will be a place for education, not indoctrination." A statement from College Board said that the curriculum "is undergoing a rigorous, multi-year pilot phase, collecting feedback from teachers, students, scholars and policymakers."

How The Media Covered It: A RollingStone article said the curriculum rejection was part of a larger effort by DeSantis to remodel Florida education "in the image of the far right." The National Review article said College Board had "clothed the course in secrecy."

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