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ATLANTA — Georgia State Superintendent Richard Woods said Wednesday that the state will pay districts to teach a new Advanced Placement course in African American studies, a day after he said districts could teach the course using only local money.
In light of the growing outcry, the Georgia Department of Education has now said districts are free to teach the curriculum and the state will pay for it, provided districts use the code tied to an existing state-approved curriculum in African American studies.
“Districts can choose to use that curriculum code and teach some or all of the curriculum standards, and students can take the associated tests,” State Department spokeswoman Meghan Frick wrote in response to questions from The Associated Press.
The decision followed Woods’ earlier denial and was met with dismay. At a rally at the Georgia Capitol on Wednesday, 15 mostly Democratic speakers attacked the elected Republican, saying he was trying to prevent students from learning about Georgia’s history.
“We are gathered here today in solidarity, standing firmly with our students and teachers who have been shocked by the sudden and unjust decision to remove the African American Studies Report from our state curriculum,” said state Sen. Nikki Merritt, a Democrat from suburban Lawrenceville. “This decision takes away a vital opportunity for our students to connect with and understand an important part of our shared history.”
Woods also faced sharp questions from Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who sent a letter asking why and how Woods arrived at his original decision to withhold state funding. In that letter, Kemp described himself as “a longtime believer that families should ultimately make the decisions that are best for their child’s educational needs and future.”
“As you know, the well-being of Georgia’s children and their educational opportunities is one of my highest priorities,” Kemp, who is currently on an economic recruiting trip in Italy, wrote.
Woods did not elaborate on his refusal, saying only in a statement Wednesday that “I had concerns about the state’s support of the entirety of the course.”
State Board of Education Chairman Stan DeJarnette said in a statement that “nothing is stopping any school system in Georgia from offering this curriculum if they wish to do so,” reiterating the department’s current position that districts can use state funds even if the state has not listed the curriculum on its catalog.
All other Advanced Placement courses are listed on the state course catalog, Frick said.
Supporters of the curriculum rejected the state’s new position on Wednesday and said Georgia’s refusal to recognize the curriculum was discriminatory.
“To suggest that the curriculum is in any way less than that is not accurate,” said state Rep. Jasmine Clark, a Democrat from suburban Lilburn.
The College Board, a nonprofit testing organization, offers advanced placement courses across the academic spectrum, including math, science, social studies, foreign languages, and the fine arts. The courses are optional and taught at the college level. Students who score well on the final exams can typically earn college credit.
College Board spokeswoman Sarah Simpson said 33 Georgia schools are piloting African American studies courses in the 2023-2024 academic year. Many schools had assumed they would offer the final version of the course this year.
But the Advanced Placement course attracted national scrutiny in 2023 when Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, preparing for his presidential run, said he would ban the course in his state because it advances a political agenda. In June, South Carolina officials also declined to add the course to their list of approved courses. South Carolina said individual districts could still choose to offer the course.
In Arkansas, state officials have said the course will count as credit in the coming school year. They denied such credit last year, but six schools still taught the pilot course.
Some school districts across the country have also refused to introduce the curriculum.
In 2022, Georgia lawmakers banned the teaching of divisive racial concepts in schools, prohibiting claims that the US is “fundamentally or systemically racist,” and mandating that no student should “feel discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of psychological distress because of their race.”
So far, 18 states have passed such bans. It’s unclear whether Georgia’s law influenced Woods’ decision.
Some districts vowed to teach the classes even if the state didn’t pay for them. The Atlanta district made that promise Tuesday. The bulk of the DeKalb County school district, which had told students and teachers it had canceled classes, said Wednesday it would teach the course at its four high schools. DeKalb County Government CEO Michael Thurmond pledged up to $100,000 to help cover the costs.
Gwinnett County spokesman Bernard Watson said the situation is “evolving.” While the state’s largest district did not reverse its decision to cancel classes at six high schools, Watson said Gwinnett County is working with state officials to “explore our options for this course.”
This article is generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications to the text.
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