NAPLES, Fla. — Gov. Ron DeSantis said Monday he wants to "reevaluate" the state's relationship with College Board, the private company that administers Advanced Placement courses in Florida.
During a news conference in Naples, the governor hinted at doing away with Advanced Placement courses in Florida.
"I'm so sick of people not doing what's right because they are worries people are going to call them names. We're doing what's right here," DeSantis said.
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It's long been a tool that thousands of high school students have used to receive college credit while in high school.
"So this College Board, like, nobody elected them," DeSantis said. "They are just kind of there providing service. There are probably other vendors who may be able to do the job as good or even a lot better."
Students seeking advanced courses for college credits have International Baccalaureate, Cambridge Programme and dual enrollment classes. They also can take the ACT exam instead of the College Board-administered SAT.
The governor said he has already spoken to House Speaker Paul Renner, R-Palm Coast, about it and said the Legislature could take up the matter.
His remarks come after College Board on Saturday accused the governor's administration of playing politics when it rejected its new Advanced Placement African American studies course over allegations that it "lacks educational value."
However, Desantis supporters argue that the governor is taking a stand against "critical race theory" in coursework.
Palm Beach County School Board member Alexandria Ayala said removing AP courses from the classroom is a step in the wrong direction, citing they serve as a vital tool in getting students ready for college.
"It exposes them to a higher rigor course," Ayala said. "They're learning beyond their level, and honors and beyond capacity, which is making them better students prepared for college and prepared for careers, regardless of what they want to do after high school."
In 2021, nearly 200,000 Florida teens took more than 366,000 AP tests for credit, which is the fifth-highest rate of tests taken per 1,000 students in the nation, the Tampa Bay Times reported.