Brevard schools, others unsure if AP Psychology meets law in Florida
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Though the Department of Education said the course could be taught, whether or not that's true under Florida law remains unclear.
Finch WalkerFlorida Today
This week was supposed to mark the kickoff of Sandy Edwards' 18th year as an AP Psychology teacher at Bayside High School in Palm Bay.
But on Monday, as she set up her classroom, she worked to shift gears entirely.
Only a few days prior, on Aug. 3, the Florida Department of Education had essentially banned the teaching of AP Psychology throughout the state. The following day, they seemingly reversed the decision, with the caveat that educators must teach the course in an "age appropriate" manner. Because the course includes information on gender identity and sexuality, topics restricted under House Bill 1069, it's unclear whether that's even possible.
In Brevard, Superintendent Mark Rendell isn't risking it. In two emails sent over the weekend to school board members, he cited concerns about legal repercussions against teachers.
"As I stated before, if a teacher teaches all elements of the course, they will violate the law," Rendell wrote in an email Saturday morning. "If they do not teach all elements of the course the students lose the AP certification. I will not put either (our) students or staff in this position."
There were previously 12 schools offering the course in Brevard, according to the district.
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Edwards said there were "rumblings" of a decision earlier last week, but she still felt blindsided when she found out she would no longer be teaching the course and would instead be teaching only standard psychology and sociology.
"To just, days before school starts, say, 'No, we're not going to offer that anymore' — it's political, it doesn't need to be an issue (in) the classroom and I'm very embarrassed about being a Floridian right now," she said. "It's humiliating, over something that's such a small part of the curriculum."
The contested part of the curriculum generally takes up a small portion of only one lesson and consists of defining terms like "sexual orientation" and "gender identity," she said.
"The stuff that they're talking about is so minuscule," Edwards said. "It's barely a 15-minute conversation. I just define those terms."
The College Board clarified in a news release Thursday that the course asks students to "describe how sex and gender influence socialization and other aspects of development," adding that gender and sexual orientation have been part of the course since it launched 30 years ago.
Rendell isn't the only one concerned about the legality of teaching the course. Multiple organizations are seeking clarity from FLDOE after Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. said Friday that schools may teach the course in its entirety as long as they do so in an "age appropriate manner."
What's considered age appropriate, and thus won't break Florida statute, however, is murky. HB 1069 and FLDOE guidelines prohibit the discussion of gender or sexuality in a classroom setting, save for high school, where teachers may only discuss the topics if required by state academic standards or as part of a reproductive health lesson. It's not clear if the AP Psychology course falls under those guidelines.
The Florida PTA, a child advocacy group, asked for further clarification on Monday, with President Carolyn Nelson-Goedert writing that there has been continued "school district, parent and student confusion" regarding FLDOE's guidance.
"We call upon the Florida Legislature to amend all statutes that censor course content based on arbitrary and subjective criteria, or that allow others than a student's parents to limit their access to a full, rich and thought-provoking curriculum," she wrote.
The letter to Diaz urged him to explicitly state a number of points, including that districts may provide the course in its entirety — including the section on gender identity and sexual orientation — without AP Psychology instructors, administrators or school board members facing repercussions. Nelson-Goedert reaffirmed that the decision to decide what is age appropriate should be made by a parent for their child.
The Florida Education Association, the largest labor union in the Southeast, also sought clarity on the guidelines, with President Andrew Spar writing that FLDOE's statement still left questions answered.
"We call on you to clearly and unambiguously state that nothing in the AP Psychology course violates Florida statutes or Florida State Board of Education rule," he wrote in the letter to Diaz Saturday. "Districts, parents, students and teachers need to know AP Psychology can be offered in Florida's public schools in its entirety without any modifications, just as it has for deceased, and be in compliance with the law."
He added that the organization has instructed every educator who has reached out to teach it "fully, faithfully and without fear of reprisal," and asked Diaz to notify him in writing if that advice was inaccurate.
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Both Edwards and Caryn Weber, mom to a sophomore, said there's been intense confusion for teachers and parents over the past few days.
Weber, whose son signed up to take the course at the end of last year, said she reached out to his guidance counselor over the weekend, but didn't hear from his school until Monday.
"(They're) saying that they're trying to work with the district to get the course, but if (we) want to make arrangements for something else, here's who to contact," she said.
What her son's other options may be aren't totally clear.
"I'm sure he could pick any other random class, but could he do dual enrollment, could he take psychology through dual enrollment?" Weber said. "We just are not sure."
On Monday morning, Edwards went into her classroom with the hopes that perhaps Rendell would change his mind and allow the course to be taught. Though for now it seems like an impossibility, she's still holding out a little bit of hope.
"If they do change their mind, I will be happy, but it will be like, 'Come on — do it or don't do it,'" she said. "Something could change, but at this point, as of this afternoon, my admin has been talking to me, and we are having to switch people over to different subjects."
Finch Walker is the education reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Walker at 321-290-4744 or fwalker@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @_finchwalker.
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It is not just Bevard County the central Florida schools will not be teaching it and like Bevard County are asking our esteemed member of the Florida Board of Education to clarify and as of 5 PM this evening nothing from the heavens known here as Tallahassee. Mr. Manny Diaz Jr as a Board of Education member, actually the head of the Board should be able to clarify it but after all it is the Board of Education, perhaps Manny is waiting for his leader Ron DeSanits to do it for him.
As yes, Florida once again leads the nation in Cluster Fucks.
They have put out an APB for Manny, it's like ''Car 54 Where Are You''.
Add Central Florida Schools to the list as well.
What, no defenders of Desantis and his culture wars?
Shock and Awe has devolved into Aw Shucks!
Seems that way, Hallux.
Correct me if I'm wrong but aren't AP classes taught in high school? Isn't the whole point of an AP class is to prepare you for college? So with that said...I'm certain that discussing sexual orientation or gender identity is not going to cause distress to 17 and 18 year students. I won't even call them children because they are practically adults.
You are exactly right, Trout. It's simply another one of DeSantis culture wars and now the Florida BoE is stuck trying to navigate their own laws. It's actually funny to see the dumb F....s trying to deal with this.
After taking the AP class they have to take a test and depending how well they do on the test they can actually get college credit for the class.
Not just prepare for college - they're supposed to confer college credit. If parents want their kids to get those credits, they're going to have to deal with the fact that the courses will be geared toward adult students.
The parents are on board with teaching it except for some like “mothers for liberty” wacko’s.
The minority in this case wields too much influence. A small number of loud whackjobs shouldn't be holding schools hostage.
Unfortunately those wack jobs are in Tallahassee disguised as the Florida BoE.
I’d bet real money that not one of their kids has any intention of taking AP Psych anyway.
Correct.
They don't prepare you for college, they replace college courses.
You're correct. And at times like these, it is worth remembering that there are always negative unintended consequences with any law.
Some of them are actual adults (18 years old).
I've been following. At first the DoE said the board would have to revise the class before it could be taught, Then when the board refused and notices went out the school the DoE reversed it's earlier decision saying it could be taught, BUT by then something like 300 kids had already dropped it because of the original ruling. This is what I like to call a righteous clusterfuck.
That is correct, EG and now many of the school districts are not going to teach it because they cannot get a clear precise written opinion from Manny Diaz Jr. on the matter.
And yes, it is a righteous clusterfuck.
It seems like no matter what Diaz has to say is too late anyway?
Sadly, it looks like it is, EG. This AP course has been taught in Florida schools for 30 years without any problems and now we have the culture war nuts screwing up the system.
Now all those kids who want to start college in Fall 2024 won't have the AP class they needed to "speed" things up a bit (like getting Psych 101 out of the way)
Perhaps there could be some summer class made available, but your right they will be behind. Sounds like what some right wing populists would prefer.
Between this and having Prager U as material that can be used in K 12 Florida is headed downhill and back to the 50s, 1850s that is.
Those leading the culture wars have found an ignorant electorate is easier to manipulate.
Problem is, nobody knows what the fuck that means. That’s why the law is - in my view - unconstitutionally vague.
Yes, it is vague and I agree that it is not constitutionally correct.
Duval Country, (Jacksonville) has just announced that they are trying to switch the 1100 students that signed up for AP phys. to other classes because of the uncertainly that the dumb asses in Tallahassee have created.
What the HELL could be controversial in a physics class????
It's a psychology class, Trout and there is nothing controversial about it as it's been taught for 30 years as an AP class in Florida.
sorry...when I see "phys" I auto matically think of physics
Don't want nobody learnin' that all physics isn't created equal. Epistemic asymmetries are just plain wrong and lead to strange attractors. It's 'cause and effect' not 'effect then cause', damn it!
Should have been psych.............. ?
LOL!
I got a C in physics. And I worked hard for that grade
I got a C in physics too. I understand the concepts, I can't do the math.
The math I could do, it was the theory and concepts that kicked my ass
I had the correct formulas and could plug in the numbers in the right places and then I was lost. I dropped math at advanced trig and never took calculus, which was a prerequisite for physics. The physics teacher waved that for me. One of my favorite unit in HS Physics was the one that governed hydraulics. My father and I built our own hydraulic log splitter from parts he scrounged. We started out with black pipe, but it couldn't handle the pressures. Dad had to save money to afford real hydraulic hoses and fittings.
That appears to be the bottom line.
It is and the Florida Board of Ed. namely, Manny Diaz JR. has not responded to the numerous requests from Florida school districts, he is nowhere to be found.
I'm back from UFH after I performed a lobotomy on some wiseass.
Everyone get back on the topic...Anymore off-topic comments will be deleted.
I'M LOCKING THE ARTICLE SINCE OFF TOPIC IS THE TOPIC OF THE DAY EVEN AFTER I REQUESTED EVERYONE TO GET BACK ON TOPIC.