College Board loses AP Psychology standoff with DeSantis.

This past week, the​ College Board made a bold announcement‌ that caught the attention of many. They revealed their decision‌ to ⁤pull Advanced Placement Psychology class from Florida schools. The reason? Existing conflicts with Florida’s Parental Rights in ‌Education Act, also⁤ known as the “Don’t Say Gay” law.

According ⁤to a statement from the College ⁣Board, they⁢ blame Florida for this decision: “Florida Department of Education has effectively banned AP Psychology in the state by instructing Florida superintendents that teaching foundational content⁤ on sexual orientation and gender identity is illegal⁢ under state law.”

However, the Florida Department of‍ Education has a different perspective. According ⁤to their statement, it’s actually the College Board’s fault: “Just ‌one week before school starts, the College ​Board is attempting to force ‌school districts to prevent students from taking the AP Psychology Course. … The ⁣other advanced course providers (including the International Baccalaureate program) had​ no issue⁢ providing the college credit psychology course.”

The‌ media has taken a‌ strong stance in favor of the College ⁣Board, portraying them as a​ scrappy​ nonprofit fighting to ⁤maintain the integrity and essential standards of their ⁣courses. They paint a⁤ picture of Governor Ron DeSantis and his supporters as knuckle-dragging homophobes rejecting ‌reason. But is this narrative ⁢accurate?⁤ Let’s ‌dig deeper.

It seems that the College Board is making‍ a power play, similar⁢ to their​ clash⁢ with Disney last year. They are using their tremendous ​influence to bring down and humiliate ⁢a conservative state government. ⁤

For decades, the College​ Board has held a monopoly on advanced curriculum in⁢ secondary ⁢schools worldwide. Their main competitor, the International Baccalaureate program, pales in comparison. This monopoly has forced all campuses and districts to comply with the College Board’s dictates.

Until the⁢ AP African American Studies ⁣course controversy last year, no‌ one had dared to challenge the College Board ⁢on ‍its curriculum standards. However, DeSantis⁣ and the Florida DOE successfully won that fight because it⁣ was clear that the new AP course had⁢ a radical leftist agenda.

Since then, ⁤the College⁣ Board has been seeking revenge, and they found ⁣their opportunity with AP Psychology.‌ They picked a new fight, claiming‍ that the course’s⁣ standards were incompatible with Florida law. ‍They​ treated a letter from the Florida DOE as a declaration of war.

However, the way the section about sexes and sexual orientation is written in the AP ​Psychology curriculum‌ document ​ does not conflict with ⁢Florida law. It ​does not require teachers to discuss queer‍ theory or⁢ alternative sexual lifestyles. The ⁤material in ‍question is only a small portion ‍of the ​entire course.

Despite​ the attention this issue is receiving, AP Psychology is mainly⁤ an elective AP course that students take to enhance their ⁣transcripts. Most students don’t need it⁤ for their⁢ college major. If the College Board insists on removing the course, Florida schools can expect students​ to switch to a ⁤different AP elective or take a dual-credit psychology course from a local‍ community college. This will ⁣result in ​the ‌College‍ Board losing millions ⁢of‍ dollars from the 30,000‌ students set to take the exam.

In conclusion, the College Board’s ⁣attempt to challenge Florida’s laws will ultimately fail. The Florida ​Department of ⁣Education has ‌struck a balance between academic rigor and political activism. As the school‍ year begins,‌ it will become clear ‍that this was⁢ a misguided battle for the College ⁣Board‍ to fight.