School districts confused over Department of Education letter

School districts are stuck as confusing letter from the Department of Education releases. Last week, the College Board said AP Psychology would not be allowed in Florida classrooms. Then, Department of Education Commissioner, Manny Diaz, sent a letter to superintendents saying the course can be taught in its entirety in a manner that is age and developmentally appropriate.

A district spokesperson sent WINK News a statement Monday morning saying, “Based on the guidance provided by the Florida Department of Education, we are adjusting student and teacher schedules and assigning them to different courses.”

Let’s rewind to last Thursday. That’s when the College Board said in a statement Florida “effectively banned” its AP Psychology by making it illegal to teach content on gender identity and sexual orientation. On Friday, the DOE sent a letter to all superintendents saying AP Psychology “can be taught in its entirety in a manner that is age and developmental appropriate.”

And there’s the confusion, because Florida law makes it a crime to teach students about gender identity and sexual orientation. There’s no provision for “age” and “developmentally appropriate.” Because of this confusion, some school districts are taking no chances and passing on the AP Psychology classes.