Gov.
Ron DeSantis
(R-FL) defended his state’s decision to exclude an
Advanced Placement
class on
African American
Studies in his state’s high school curriculum Monday. He said the state wanted “education, not indoctrination.”
The Florida governor, who has faced backlash for his state’s educational system, claimed that the course was part of a “political agenda on the wrong side of the line” during a
press conference
Monday. He also said that the course’s developers were “clearly trying to use that for political purposes.”
DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION BLOCKS AP AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES COURSE FROM SCHOOL CURRICULUM
In a
letter obtained
by the Washington Examiner last week, the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Articulation said the course severely lacked “educational value” and violates state law.
However, in a statement to the Washington Examiner, the department’s press secretary said it would reopen the discussion on allowing the course if it “comes into compliance and incorporates historically accurate content.”
DeSantis clarified that he did not object to teaching black history to high school students, but he wanted to do so in a “classical” sense.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
The course is currently being piloted by 60 schools nationwide during the 2022-2023 school year, and it is expected to fully roll out nationally for the 2024-2025 school year,
according to
the course organizer’s website.
Monday’s press conference was held to roll out DeSantis’s agenda on education for the state legislature to pass in its session this year. The agenda
includes
increasing the pay for teachers and weakening teacher unions by preventing them from automatically taking money out of the paychecks of teachers.
