BY KAYLA PILLOFF
Censorship has been an ongoing issue in high schools in the United States. More specifically, certain states have attempted to or successfully banned teaching certain AP classes whose topics have been deemed by some to be controversial and inappropriate for class settings.
Over the summer, Florida governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill that restricts schools from teaching about gender and sexuality. AP Psychology, a common AP course taken by over 28,000 Florida students last year according to a statement released by CollegeBoard, includes both topics on gender and sexual identity. Florida districts said they would only keep the course if College Board removed the units that discussed gender and sexuality. The organization refused, as doing so would go against their values. “To best prepare these students for college placement… the topic on gender and sexual orientation will continue to be required,” College Board said in a statement.
Both topics will still be included on the end-of-year course exam, and censoring it would deem Florida students ineligible for college credit.
More recently, Florida’s Education Commissioner, Manny Diaz Jr. tried to clarify the ban, saying that teachers in Florida can teach AP Psych as long as it is taught in an age-appropriate way and is consistent with state laws. However, after DeSantis passed the “Parental Rights in Education” law more commonly known as the “don’t say gay” law, which restricts public school teachers from teaching about sexual orientation and gender, many teachers statewide are fearful of teaching the course as it could cause them legal trouble. This accounts for the reason why the majority of Florida counties have opted out of offering the class.
It’s not just AP Psychology that is being banned, though: AP African American Studies, a new course that will be available in the fall of 2024, has stirred up lots of controversies. The new class was going to be piloted in numerous high schools, including some in Arkansas this school year. In a last minute call, the Arkansas Department of Education pulled the class before the school year started per Governor Sarah Hucabee Sanders’ request.
It’s not just the class being pulled; multiple states have used it as leverage to ban all talk of racial history. Both Arkansas and Florida have canceled the class saying it lacked “educational value and historical accuracy,” according to a statement from the Florida Department of Education. The course covers all of African American history, beyond just slavery, including arts, science and geography.
Despite the state’s new restrictions, some counties in Arkansas are refusing to put the ban in place. For example, Little Rock will offer the class despite government interjections. The decision is not easy, though, with the state making sure that the exam fees will not be paid for, and the class most likely will not be counted for high school credit. Nevertheless, Little Rock is encouraging students to take it, paying for its own fee waivers for the exam.
While AP classes being banned is generally a new thing, it is uncertain whether it will continue to happen. Banning a course like AP African American Studies will, “Continue the same conversations and problems that the United States has faced since the founding…” said AP history teacher Jamie Kimbrough-Groves, “it’s important to teach history through a lens other than what is traditionally taught in US history classes.”
“I think teaching Psychology without mentioning sex is absurd.” said AP Psychology teacher Penny Keune.
Censorship continues to cause an ongoing debate between schools and various state authorities regarding what content can be included in their courses. It remains to provide a challenge for those working in the education system as well as government officials.
October 2023
The Prowler 