(ConservativeFreePress.com) – Georgia State Superintendent Richard Woods reverses course on funding African American Studies.
On Wednesday, Woods said the state would pay for districts to teach a new Advanced Placement course in African American Studies. The announcement reverses his statements a day earlier when he suggested districts would have to teach the course using local funds.
Amid growing outrage, Georgia’s Department of Education stated districts would receive state funds to teach the course provided they use a code linked to an existing state-approved African American studies course.
A spokesperson for the state department, Meghan Frick, clarified that districts could “choose to use that course and teach some or all of the standards in the AP course,” then students could “take the associated AP exam.”
Yet, Woods continued to receive pushback even after making the U-turn.
On Wednesday, at a rally at Georgia’s state Capitol, 15 primarily Democratic speakers criticized Woods, an elected Republican, claiming his earlier decision was an attempt to prevent students from learning about the Peach State’s history.
State Senator Nikki Merritt (D-Lawrenceville) told attendees they were gathered “in solidarity” with students and teachers “blindsided by an abrupt and unjust decision.” that removed AP African American Studies from the state’s curriculum.
Merritt suggested the decision removed a “vital opportunity” for students to learn about “a significant part of our shared history.”
However, Woods also drew the attention of Republican Governor Brian Kemp, who questioned Woods in a letter about how he had decided to prevent districts from using state funds for AP African American Studies.
In the letter, Kemp, who is in Italy courting economic opportunities, describes himself as “a longtime believer that families should ultimately make the decisions” that meet the need for their child’s future, adding that “the wellbeing of Georgia’s children and their education opportunities” is a major priority.
The Superintendent didn’t provide a reason behind his initial announcement about state funding, only releasing a statement that said he “had concerns about the state endorsing the totality of the course.”
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