But He's Got High Hopes

But he's got high hopes, he's got high hopes*Just what makes that little old man*

Think he'll move that Advanced Placement courses 

Anyone knows an man, can't

Move College Board courses

But he's got high hopes, he's got high hopes

He's got high apple pie, in the sky hopes

 

***

Ron DeSantis wants to scrub AP classes of LGBTQ subjects. The College Board isn't having it

By Zac Anderson

June 15, 2023

On the heels of a controversy over how to teach African American studies, another showdown over Advanced Placement courses could be brewing in Florida, this time over AP Psychology, as the nonprofit that runs the program faces pressure from state officials to remove or revise lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The conflict is another example of how Gov. Ron DeSantis' push to restrict how race and LGBTQ issues are taught is impacting Florida's schools.

The Florida Department of Education sent a letter to the College Board, which runs the AP program, on May 19 asking the organization to review all AP courses to see if they "need modification to ensure compliance" with a Florida law and state Board of Education rule targeting instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity.

The College Board responded Thursday with a defiant letter stating that "we will not modify our courses to accommodate restrictions teaching essential, college-level topics." That could set up a showdown between Florida and College Board officials.

DeSantis has high hopes that he can dictate to the rest of the country!

Three guesses what he wants to cut.

The AP Psychology class is a potential point of conflict. The course has a unit dealing with developmental psychology that includes discussion of gender and sexual orientation.

Okay these are students who want to go into psychology but DeSantis doesn’t want to have them learn about LGBTQ+ people.

The American Psychological Association issued a statement Thursday voicing "unqualified support" for the College Board. CEO Arthur Evans Jr. lambasted the state of Florida's "unconscionable demand to censor an educational curriculum and test that were designed by college faculty and experienced AP teachers who ensure that the course and exam reflect the state of the science and college-level expectations.”

[…]

"We are resolute in this position, in part, because of what we learned from our mistakes in the recent rollout of AP African American Studies," the College Board wrote. "In developing the framework for AP African American Studies, we tried to create a course that could be available in states across the country and accurately represent a college-level course on the subject."

The  Orlando Sentinel wrote...

The unit on gender and sexual orientation is an “important body of science,” he said [Arthur Evans, the psychological association’s CEO,], and needs to remain in a college-level psychology course. “This law is yet another attempt to erase LGBTQ+ people from public view based on biased thinking and irrational fear,” he added.

I have to wonder if colleges in Florida will pull the teaching of LGBTQ+ studies in psychology. I am also wondering about med schools in Florida if it will be prohibited and what about abortions? It seems to me that Florida colleges will be handicapped with all these new laws.

So here we are going to have a standoff… and I bet DeSantis will not win.

All problem's just a toy balloon

They'll be bursted soon

They're just bound to go pop

* High Hopes by Frank Sinatra