MIAMI (WSVN) - After the Florida Department of Education reversed its decision to limit an Advanced Placement Psychology class from being taught in public high schools, several South Florida counties announced that the course will be available for the students in the upcoming academic school year.
The course has been taught in Florida for nearly 30 years.
“We firmly believe that offering AP Psychology is the right thing to do,” said Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Peter Licata.
“Miami-Dade Public Schools will be offering AP Psychology for the ’23-’24 school year,” said Miami-Dade County Schools Assistant Superintendent Lisette Alves.
Advanced Placement Psychology will be taught in Miami-Dade and Broward County Public Schools this upcoming year, school district officials confirmed on Wednesday.
“I think that’s amazing; it’s the right thing to do,” said Karla Hernandez-Mats, president of United Teachers of Dade.
“There’s nothing wrong with the course, and it’s age appropriate,” said Anna Fusco, president of the Broward Teachers Union.
Some districts in Florida dropped the class after fears of classroom discussion relating to sexual orientation and gender identity could break the new state law, known as “Parental Rights in Education” and dubbed “Don’t Say Gay” by critics.
“You can have your certificate on the chopping block, or you can possibly be arrested,” Fusco said.
If districts remove the topic, the College Board said the class can’t be called AP, which wouldn’t count for college credit.
Last week, the Florida Commissioner of Education Manny Diaz Jr. sent a letter to superintendents, which read, “…The department believes that AP Psychology can be taught in its entirety in a manner that is age appropriate…”
Kevin Miller, who teaches AP Psychology at Plantation High School, said gender identity is a small portion of what’s talked about in the class, but is still important for students to hear.
“Letting you know that we all go through a developmental course when we’re trying to find out who we are,” Miller said.
Broward County Public Schools are going a step further to make sure they are in compliance with the law by requiring students who take the course to have a signed permission slip from their parents.
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