AFT’s Weingarten Slams Florida for Censoring AP Psychology Course

WASHINGTON—American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten issued the following statement after the Florida Department of Education made clear that the College Board’s long-standing Advanced Placement psychology course would need to be censored because it contravened the state’s “anti-woke” laws:

“With every passing day, Florida is going out of its way to limit, rather than expand, the educational opportunities available for its young people. It seems nothing can stop the slippery slope of government censorship and bans, even against a long-running and widely respected AP course that has helped the next generation pursue their dreams. No state government should ever be engaged in the un-American practice of censoring the science that is taught to our students.

“A college-level course on psychology that excises a discussion of gender and sexual orientation would be incomplete, inaccurate and unscientific. As the American Psychological Association has noted, ‘Excluding discussion of this content not only deprives students of an understanding of the breadth of psychological science, it prevents them from understanding human development and identity.’

“Make no mistake—this noxious maneuver disadvantages students as they prepare for college and forces parents to spend thousands of dollars they could have saved if their kids had access to age-appropriate college coursework in high school. It also has a significant impact on colleges and college-bound scholars, as it is currently assumed that this introductory content has already been taught.

“Sadly, it’s all part of the DeSantis playbook of eroding rights, censoring those he disagrees with and undermining access to knowledge. Just this year, countless educators have been forced to remove or cover up their classroom libraries under threat of sanctions and jail, countless students have lost out because the governor ended AP African American studies, and now this assault on AP psychology. It’s an unconscionable but far-from-surprising move from an extremist and increasingly unpopular leader who is fast becoming both a national pariah and a global embarrassment.”