WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — The School District of Palm Beach County announced Friday they have removed AP Psychology from its course offerings a day after the College Board encouraged school districts in Florida not to offer the class.
The district said they made the decision based on the "uncertainty surrounding the viability of the AP Psychology exam and course credit in Florida."
"We apologize for any inconvenience caused to students and our teachers who have already prepared for this course and want to assure our community that we are dedicated to helping our students find suitable alternatives within our curriculum," school spokeswoman Angela Cruz Ledford said in a statement.
Education
Future of AP Psychology classes in Florida remains uncertain
The College Board announced Thursday the Florida Department of Education said that the sexual orientation and gender identity portions of the AP Psychology class go against state law.
Florida Education Commissioner Manny Diaz sent a letter to school superintendents Friday in an effort to ease anxieties. The commissioner said the education department believed there was a way the psychology courses could be taught in full and follow Florida's limitations.
College Board said Friday they now hoped that Florida teachers would be able to teach the full course, including content on gender and sexual orientation, without fear of punishment in the upcoming school year.
Below is the full statement by the Palm Beach County school district regarding their decision:
"The School District of Palm Beach County has made the difficult decision to remove AP Psychology from our course offerings due to the uncertainty surrounding the viability of the AP Psychology exam and course credit in Florida. We apologize for any inconvenience caused to students and our teachers who have already prepared for this course and want to assure our community that we are dedicated to helping our students find suitable alternatives within our curriculum.
Our academic counselors and administrators will be available to guide and support affected students during this transition. We remain committed to providing a high-quality education and offer a wide range of courses to foster academic and personal growth."
