Gwinnett County Schools cut AP African American Studies after state superintendent defunds course

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. - Advanced Placement African American Studies will not be offered at Gwinnett County Public Schools, according to Superintendent Calvin J. Watts.

He said the decision was a direct result of the state superintendent removing the class from the list of state-approved courses last week, which cut state funding for it.

Last week, Georgia Superintendent Richard Woods received pushback from lawmakers and direct questioning from Gov. Brian Kemp. He doubled down on the decision to pull state funding, issuing a more detailed response on Wednesday.

"After our announcement, the state provided updated guidance regarding funding, course number assignment, and the flexibility to embed AP African American Studies topics in our Introduction to African American Studies course," Watts said in a statement addressed to Gwinnett County parents and students. "The solutions offered provide a path for students to be exposed to the content and rigorous coursework; however, they fall short of addressing our concern that their GPAs would not be calculated the same way as students completing other AP courses in Georgia."

"We believe that access to rigorous coursework is beneficial in preparing every student for post-secondary success, and we remain committed to offering advanced course opportunities that represent the diverse interests of our more than 50,000 high school students," Watts continued. "Withholding state approval for this AP course sends the message that the contributions and experiences of African Americans are not worthy of academic study at the same level as other approved AP courses."

He also added that AP course credit impacts students' eligibility for important state scholarships like HOPE and Zell Miller.

"Team GCPS will continue to advocate for the full approval of the AP African American Studies course statewide. We remain in contact with the State Superintendent and the State Board of Education in hopes that this decision will be reversed," Watts concluded. "Thank you for your time, understanding, and support."