Florida parents consider fleeing the state over 'horrifying' DeSantis threat to eliminate AP courses

17 February 2023

Far-right Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and his allies set off a major controversy when the Republican governor banned, from public high schools, an advance placement course on African-American history. When DeSantis visited Philadelphia in late January to receive the Union League’s gold medal award, he was greeted by a crowd of angry protesters — some of whom argued that DeSantis, after banning a course on Black history, shouldn’t be receiving that award in a city that is roughly 41 percent Black.

Now, DeSantis is threatening to remove advance placement courses altogether from Florida high schools. And his critics, according to the Washington Post, believe that he is harming students who are trying to prepare themselves for a college education.

In an article published by the Post on February 16, journalists Hannah Natanson and Lori Rozsa explain, "Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) warned Tuesday, (February 14) that he may withdraw state support for AP programs, intensifying his ongoing conflict with the College Board, which oversees all AP classes, including an African-American studies course the DeSantis Administration says leans left and lacks ‘educational value.’ Earlier this month, the College Board said it was revising the course to eliminate lessons on Black Lives Matter and the reparations movement…. It remains unclear what the governor can do to nix AP classes, although he may be able to halt Florida’s practice of paying AP exam fees — $97 per test — for public school students."

Some Florida parents, fearing the possible elimination of AP courses there, have considered "moving out of the state to protect their children’s chances at a good education," according to Natanson and Rozsa.

"The stakes are high for Florida families, both financially and in terms of their children’s competitiveness during college applications," the Post reporters note. "Scores of three and above on the five-point AP test scale help students qualify for college credit, lowering the price of a bachelor’s degree. Moreover, AP courses are seen by college admissions officers as a marker of ambition, intelligence and industriousness."

Although he hasn’t made any type of official announcement, DeSantis appears to be gearing up for a possible 2024 presidential run. DeSantis enjoys a great deal of Republican support in his state, where he was reelected by 19 percent in the 2022 midterms. But he has been a highly polarizing figure, as evidenced by the anti-DeSantis protest that awaited him in Philadelphia.

American Federation of Teachers Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers, believes that eliminating AP courses from Florida high schools is a terrible idea. And Clearwater, Florida resident Colleen Hamilton told the Post that her daughter, now 25, "benefitted" enormously from the many AP courses she took in high school.

Hamilton told the Post, "It terrifies me that DeSantis is threatening to eliminate AP classes after seeing how much it benefited my daughter’s education. It is truly horrifying to be a resident of Florida right now."

Read the Washington Post’s full report at this link (subscription required):

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