White House finds latest DeSantis education move ‘incomprehensible’
Haisten Willis
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The White House issued another strong criticism of Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) on Friday, saying his blocking of AP African American Studies is “incomprehensible.”
The DeSantis administration earlier this week blocked the inclusion of the Advanced Placement class centered on African American studies in high schools, saying the course is “inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.”
DESANTIS ADMINISTRATION BLOCKS AP AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES COURSE FROM SCHOOL CURRICULUM
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre was asked about the move by a reporter and had a response ready.
“It is incomprehensible to see that this ban, or this block, to be more specific, that DeSantis has put forward,” she said. “If you think about the study of black Americans, that is what he wants to block. These types of actions aren’t new, especially from Florida, sadly.”
After clarifying that the White House does not set education curriculum for local schools, Jean-Pierre listed off other aspects of Florida policy the Biden administration finds objectionable.
“Florida currently bans teachers from talking about who they are and who they love,” she said. “We’ve talked about it many times here in this briefing room. They have banned more books in schools and libraries than almost every other state in the country.”
The Washington Examiner obtained a letter from the Florida Department of Education’s Office of Articulation to the College Board stating that the course is “inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.” The letter did not elaborate on what particular parts of the course content they found to be questionable.
“If the course comes into compliance and incorporates historically accurate content, the Department will reopen the discussion,” Florida Education Department press secretary Cassie Palelis said in a statement to the Washington Examiner.
In 2021, Florida enacted a law that banned teaching critical race theory, a catch-all term for lessons and policies that encourage children to see themselves and others almost exclusively through the lens of race, as well as the 1619 Project, a New York Times project that reframed American history around the arrival of slaves in America.
The move stirred controversy, with some calling it an “attack on black history.”
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“They didn’t block AP European history, they didn’t block music history,” said Jean-Pierre. “But the state chooses to block a course that is meant for high-achieving high school students to learn about their history of arts and culture. It is incomprehensible, and I will just leave it there.”
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