Georgia’s Superintendent of Schools said school districts can receive state funding for an Advanced Placement class in African American studies after he previously opted not to recommend the course for state approval.
Richard Woods said in a statement Wednesday that school districts using a course code that has been in the catalog of state-funded courses since 2020 will receive funding.
“Should districts choose to do so, they may teach some or all of the standards in the AP African American Studies course using this code (and students may take the associated AP exam),” Woods said.
The decision comes after Woods decided not to recommend approval of the course to the state board of education. The board’s approval is necessary for a class to qualify for state funding.
His decision drew immediate backlash from advocates, with Democratic state Rep. Jasmine Clark referring to it as the “erasure of black history from our schools.”
The course, designed by the College Board, explores African American history and culture beginning with the origins of the African diaspora in 900 BCE and ending with the 21st century.
Thirty-three Georgia schools piloted the course in the 2023-24 academic year, and some thought they would be offering the final version of the course this fall, a spokesperson for the College Board told the Associated Press.
Gov. Brian Kemp (R-GA) wrote a letter to Woods dated Wednesday asking the superintendent to explain the reasoning behind his decision not to recommend the course for approval. The governor asked how much it cost the state to pilot the course in the 2023-24 academic year and how many other pilot courses have not been recommended for continuation in the last decade, Capitol Beat reported.
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In his statement, Woods said he had “concerns about the state endorsing the totality of the course.”
“It’s my position that districts should use the existing course code — which offers them the flexibility to develop their own curriculum based on local priorities, or to use standards from the AP course if they choose and in consultation with their communities,” he added.