Thank you to the people who signed this petition in protest of the State Superintendent's denial of the Advanced Placement (AP) African American (AA) studies course code. We demonstrated the POWER of the PEOPLE united!
Our united coalition of various organizations, individuals, community leaders, elected officials, students & their families, teachers, educational support professionals, and others all worked together to strategize on actions to demand this change.
We will continue to proactively collaborate to meet the diverse needs of all students and our entire community. We will proceed to push this petition to focus on requesting the repeal of HB 1084 and SB 226. Please continue to share this petition.
Please join our movement! Click on the following link to join an action committee and attend our monthly meetings. Action Committee Sign-Up.
Join our movement of the people, by the people, for the people, and with the people: Movement for Progress - Gwinnett Progressives
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Statement from State School Superintendent Richard Woods: Update on AP, IB, and Dual Enrollment Course Adoption
August 7, 2024 – “Over the past several weeks, I have sought guidance and clarity regarding the extent to which Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB), and dual enrollment courses within the K-12 school system intersect with O.C.G.A. § 20-1-11, the divisive concepts legislation.
Late yesterday afternoon, the sponsor of this legislation shared with my office a response letter he received from the Attorney General’s Office. This communication from the Attorney General’s Office completed the clarification process surrounding the adoption and instructional expectation for all AP, IB, and dual enrollment courses and curriculum. It has been determined that this law shall not restrict local school systems from adopting any AP, IB, or dual enrollment course. Each such course will be exempted from the provisions of the divisive concepts legislation, so long as these courses are implemented “in a professionally and academically appropriate manner and without espousing personal political beliefs.”
Thus, any such course developed by its controlling entity will be automatically adopted within the state-approved course catalog. It will not have to receive a recommendation from either the State School Superintendent of Georgia or the Georgia State Board of Education. It will also not require a vote to approve or deny adoption into the state-approved course catalog.
As I have said, I will follow the law. In compliance with this opinion, the AP African American Studies course will be added to the state-funded course catalog effective immediately.
In light of this exemption, the following disclaimer will be added to all AP courses in the state course catalog:
Advanced Placement (AP) courses and their instructional frameworks and curriculum are solely owned and endorsed by the College Board. The contents of these courses have not been reviewed or approved by the Georgia Department of Education. As with any curriculum, school districts should use a process for reviewing, approving, and adopting AP courses and instructional frameworks that engages students, parents, educators, and community stakeholders. Curricula and training should abide by state and local policies, including House Bill 1084 – which requires that the curriculum of exempted AP courses be implemented in a professionally and academically appropriate manner and without espousing personal political beliefs.”