DeSantis defends decision to reject AP African American Studies course, says class was ‘pushing an agenda on our kids’

"In the state of Florida, our education standards not only don't prevent but they require teaching black history, all the important things that's part of our core curriculum.

"This was a separate course on top of that for Advanced Placement credit. And the issue is we have guidelines and standards in Florida. We want education, not indoctrination. If you fall on the side of indoctrination, we're going to decline. If it's education, then we will do.

DeSantis said that when he heard they denied the course, "I figured, yeah, they may be doing CRT (critical race theory)."

"It's way more than that. This course on black history, What are one of what's one of the lessons about? Queer theory. Now, who would say that an important part of black history is queer theory? That is somebody pushing an agenda on our kids and so when you look to see they have stuff about intersectionality, abolishing prisons, that's a political agenda."

DeSantis added, "that's the wrong side of the line for Florida standards. We believe in teaching kids facts and how to think, but we don't believe they should have an agenda imposed on them. When you try to use black history to shoehorn in queer theory, you are clearly trying to use that for political purposes."

The Florida Department of Education sent a letter to the College Board earlier this month regarding an AP African American Studies course, stating "As presented, the content of this course is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value."

The course includes weekly topics like "Black Queer Studies," "'Postracial' Racism and Colorblindness," "Incarceration and Abolition," "The Reparations Movement," as well as "Intersectionality and Activism."

Florida laws stated that "classroom instruction and curriculum may not be used to indoctrinate or persuade students to a particular point of view inconsistent with the principles enumerated in subsection (3) or the state academic standards."