Topline
Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday he may propose eliminating the College Board’s Advanced Placement classes from Florida schools, threatening an escalation of a weeks-long public feud between the governor and the educational group over content of its classes DeSantis has blasted as “woke” indoctrination.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) speaks at a news conference to announce the Moving Florida Forward … [+]
Key Facts
DeSantis said at a news conference he’s spoken with Florida state House Speaker Paul Renner (R-Palm Coast) about potentially having the legislature “reevaluate” the course offerings.
The governor instead suggested “other vendors” might be able to offer similar AP-style programs—which give high school students the opportunity to earn college credit—even though the College Board dominates the industry.
The Florida Department of Education rejected an AP African American studies course last month, which DeSantis said was trying to push a “political agenda” he likened to Marxism over including Black feminism and queer studies as part of the class.
The College Board did not respond to a request for comment from Forbes on DeSantis’ latest remark, but it sent out a statement over the weekend accusing Florida officials of “slander” and blasting the move to block the African American studies class as a “PR stunt.”
Crucial Quote
“This College Board—nobody elected them to anything,” DeSantis said. “They’re just kind of there and provide this service, and you can utilize those services or not.”
Contra
The College Board changed the curriculum of its AP African American studies class after the Florida rejection, removing intersectional issues from the course—and also widely read Black authors, including Ta Nehisi-Coates and Bell Hooks—as well as references to critical race theory, a loosely defined academic framework arguing U.S. legal institutions are inherently racist toward Black Americans.
Key Background
DeSantis’ stance against so-called “woke” messaging has been a hallmark of his time as governor, particularly when it comes to education. The governor and his administration have enacted policies like the “Don’t Say Gay” law prohibiting classroom discussions on sexual orientation or gender identity through the third grade, while creating new guidelines allowing for the removal of state-defined controversial materials from school libraries and asking universities to provide data on how many students have received gender-affirming medical treatments. The dustup with the College Board comes as all signs point to DeSantis making a 2024 presidential run, setting up what’s expected to be a scorched-earth Republican primary as he battles with former President Donald Trump for the support of the party’s heavily conservative base. Polls suggest DeSantis is by far the most viable GOP alternative to Trump at this point—the latest RealClearPolitics polling average has DeSantis with 30% support, behind Trump’s 48% but well ahead of former Vice President Mike Pence, who polled third with 7%.
Further Reading
DeSantis ponders ending AP classes for Florida students (Orlando Sentinel)
DeSantis Defends Florida Rejecting AP African-American Studies Course (Forbes)
College Board Pares Back AP African American Studies After DeSantis Complaint—Here’s What’s Removed (Forbes)
DeSantis Unveils ‘Stop W.O.K.E. Act’ So Parents Can Sue Over Critical Race Theory In Schools (Forbes)
DeSantis Is More Popular Than Trump Among These Key Groups Ahead Of 2024, Poll Finds (Forbes)
Trump Launches 2024 Presidential Bid (Forbes)
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/nicholasreimann/2023/02/13/desantis-threatens-florida-ban-of-ap-classes-in-latest-college-board-jab/