Gov DeSantis of Florida Rejects Leftwing AP Course for High Schoolers
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) took action this month to block a proposed Advanced Placement (AP) course on African American studies that includes extremist topics such as queer theory and the abolishment of prisons.
“That’s a political agenda,” argued DeSantis Monday during a press conference. “That’s the wrong side of the line for Florida standards. We believe in teaching kids facts and how to think, but we don’t think they should have an agenda imposed on them; when you try to use Black history to shoehorn in queer theory, you are clearly trying to use that for political purposes.”
The College Board was notified on January 12th via letter that the Florida Department of Education would not accept the proposed AP course. According to the Board, the course in question is already being taught in 60 schools throughout the nation.
“As submitted, the course is a vehicle for a political agenda and leaves large, ambiguous gaps that can be filled with additional ideological material, which we will not allow,” said DeSantis press secretary Bryan Griffin. “As Governor DeSantis has stated, our classrooms will be a place for education, not indoctrination.”
Also outlined during the press conference were plans to increase teacher pay, boost teachers’ ability to push back against school districts, prohibit unions from automatically deducting dues from teachers’ paychecks, and reduce the term limit for school board members from 12 years to 8 years.
The way I see it, the proposed AP course is a blatant attempt to insert Critical Race Theory into schools with content that clearly violates Florida state laws banning educational methods that divide people into “oppressors” and “oppressed” and/or that make students feel personably responsible for historical wrongdoings based on race or sex.
The rejected course touches on science, literature, the arts, geography, and politics. Of most concern to the Florida Department of Education were topics including reparations, Black feminism, and the Movement for Black Lives.
“We want to do history, and that’s what our standards for Black history are,” explained DeSantis. “You learn all the basics; you learn about the great figures, and you know, I view it as American history. I don’t view it as separate history…We have history in lots of different shapes and sizes, people that have participated to make the country great, people that have stood up when it wasn’t easy and they all deserve to be taught. But abolishing prisons being taught to high school kids as if that’s somehow a fact? No…that’s not appropriate.”
DeSantis, widely viewed as a top GOP contender for the 2024 presidential election, has led the nation in keeping CRT and other leftwing content out of public schools. Already, Florida has passed legislation that bans the teaching of Critical Race Theory, prevents primary school teachers from introducing LGBTQ topics, and requires that all books in school libraries be vetted by a “certified media specialist” and be free from pornographic or otherwise “harmful” content.
These policies have earned criticism from the Biden Administration, with White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre describing the decision to ban the AP course as “incomprehensible.”
“Florida is doing its best to tilt the scales and shut down important, much-needed discussions of race, slavery, stolen lands, and undeniable history that have led to where we are as a society today,” argues Florida State Senator Shevrin Jones (D). “Governor DeSantis’s whitewashing of history and book bans are his latest assault on American history and our First Amendment rights. Horrifyingly, it is our vulnerable and underrepresented students who will suffer the most a a result.”
Sources:
DeSantis Defends Florida Rejecting Ap African-American Studies Course
DeSantis sparks outrage with rejection of African American studies class
If it walks, talks, or smells like EVIL, then IT must be a DemocRAT AKA Communist.
It’s an AP course, does not affect DeSantis voters :>)
DeBanThis has more mandates than a covid pandemic.
Does he know the word elective course?
Once you ban black you can never go back.
Don’t say black.
Don’t say gay.
Don’t say amnesty.
Signs, signs, everywhere a sign….
Meanwhile, DeSantimonious DID figure out, single handily how to stop covid; he just stopped reporting cases and deaths. Brilliant!
Funny that Florida outs blacks and has a blackout at the same time. I’d say have a gay old time, but it’s illegal in Florida.
DeSanctimonious continues with his policy stunts trying to garner national exposure for his expected run on the White House. Unfortunately, this self-proclaimed culture warrior seems to focus on target, attack, and destroy. Instead of building, it’s ban, burn, and bomb. This time it’s Blacks that are in his gunsights using a woke attack for cover.
With this move, DeSantis adds to his reputation of not supporting his black constituencies desires. First, it’s an AP elective course, not a mandatory course. One can read the syllabus like DeSantis did, and choose. Florida is against free choice though. Second, what does this say about how DeSantis manages; his people did not serve notice until it was a crisis. His people didn’t lobby for change, didn’t just say no during development, they just waited for a crisis and then dropped the total ban bomb with all the press hoopla versus just asking for an edit. DeSantis operates in crisis mode a lot; that’s good and exciting for getting press too.
Ron’s reputation took a hit recently in 2022 when he appointed a white county commissioner for Florida’s blackest county only to have pictures of the man in KKK apparel crop up. He resigned. Worse yet, the administration’s response of “really, doesn’t matter, he resigned” did not make blacks feel better.
In the past, DeSantis has spoken at conferences hosted by a well-known racist to which DeSantis responded: “how should I know what these people have said in the past?” That’s part of your job, Ron.
And there’s a problem, the man can’t vet people, so, again, he ends up operating in crisis mode like when his secretary of state, who he lavished many praises on, winds up with pictures in blackface and drag wearing a t-shirt that said “Katrina victim.” He appears to be mocking black women from New Orleans. Or he is a drag queen that DeSantis hired. The man is in full drag as a black woman. DeSantis said it was unfortunate because the “man” did good work. Really? Just unfortunate? Are you sure? FYI: the death split between races from this storm was pretty close so there was no overwhelming factoid leading one to think it was mostly black victims. The Florida Secretary of State seems too stupid to know that. He was smart enough to call them out, make fun of the unfortunate, but according to DeSantis: does good work…..
Is Florida full of highly functioning racists or does DeSantis like a certain type of employee?
Now, virtually running for President and certainly trying to become a national figure, DeSantis has restricted race discussions in education, he has restricted it in the workplace.
In 2020, FL got a new Congressional seat because of population growth, mostly minority, mostly Hispanic, but the new district was drawn to avoid electing a minority to Congress. Even with a FL gerrymandering law, black and Hispanic districts did not increase.
With his latest stunt, DeSantis is adding to his message that he does not support blacks, he does not respect black power, and now, black history. His penchant for publicity over policy with pugnacious attacks and bans targets certain demographics as he rewards others with great jobs (until the pictures come out).
Houston: we have lift-off, the Desanctimonious tirade has begun :>)