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In a twist, Georgia now says districts can use state funds to teach AP Black Studies classes.

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ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia State Superintendent Richard Woods said Wednesday that the state pays districts to teach a recent Advanced Placement course in African-American studies. A day earlier, he said districts could only teach the course using local funds.

Amid growing outrage, the Georgia Department of Education said districts have the liberty to offer the course and the state pays for it so long as the districts use a code related to an existing, state-approved African-American studies course.

“Districts may choose to use this course code and teach some or all of the standards from an AP course, and students may take the associated AP exam,” Meghan Frick, a state department spokeswoman, wrote in response to questions from The Associated Press.

The change did little to stem the backlash against Woods’ earlier refusal. At a rally on the Georgia Capitol on Wednesday, 15 mostly Democratic speakers attacked the elected Republican, saying he was trying to prevent students from learning about Georgia history.

“We are gathered here today in solidarity, standing strong with our students and teachers who have been blindsided by the sudden and unfair decision to remove AP African American Studies reports from our curriculum,” said state Sen. Nikki Merritt, a Democrat from suburban Lawrenceville. “This decision deprives our students of a vital opportunity to engage with and understand a significant part of our shared history.”

Woods also had to answer pointed questions from Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, who sent a letter asking why and the way Woods made his initial decision to block state funding. In that letter, Kemp described himself as a “long-time believer that families should ultimately make decisions that best serve the educational needs and future of their children.”

“As you know, the well-being of Georgia children and their educational opportunities are my top priority,” wrote Kemp, who’s currently in Italy on an economic recruiting trip.

Woods didn’t elaborate on his refusal, only saying in a statement Wednesday that he “had concerns about the state’s support for the entire course.”

Stan DeJarnett, chairman of the state board of education, said in a statement that “no one is prohibiting any school system in Georgia from offering this course if they choose to do so,” reflecting the department’s current position that districts can use state funds even when the state doesn’t list the course in its catalog.

All other Advanced Placement courses are listed within the state course catalog, Frick explained.

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Supporters of the course pushed back against the state’s recent position Wednesday, saying Georgia’s initial refusal to recognize the course was discriminatory.

“It’s not fair to suggest that the course is somehow inferior,” said state Rep. Jasmine Clark, a Democrat from suburban Lilburn.

The College Board, a nonprofit testing organization, offers Advanced Placement courses across the tutorial spectrum, including math, science, social studies, foreign languages, and the humanities. The courses are optional and taught at the school level. Students who rating well on the ultimate exam can often earn college credit.

Sara Sympson, a spokeswoman for the College Board, said 33 Georgia schools have piloted the African American Studies course for the 2023-2024 academic yr. Many schools had assumed they might offer the ultimate version of the course this yr.

But Advanced Placement got here under national scrutiny in 2023 when Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, gearing up for the presidential election campaign, said he would ban the course in his state since it promoted a political agenda. In June, South Carolina officials also declined to add the course to a list of approved courses. South Carolina said individual counties could still select to offer the course.

In Arkansas, state officials said the course would count toward credit within the upcoming school yr. They refused to achieve this last yr, but six schools piloted the course anyway.

Some school districts across the country have also refused to offer the course.

In 2022, Georgia lawmakers passed a law banning the teaching of divisive racial concepts in schools, prohibiting claims that the United States is “fundamentally or systemically racist” and mandating that no student “shall experience discomfort, guilt, anguish, or any other form of mental distress because of his or her race.”

So far, 18 states have passed such bans. It’s unclear whether Georgia’s law influenced Woods’ decision.

Some districts have pledged to hold classes even when the state doesn’t pay for them. The Atlanta district made the pledge Tuesday. The larger DeKalb County school district, which has told students and teachers it has canceled classes, said Wednesday it is going to hold the course at 4 of its high schools. Michael Thurmond, DeKalb County’s chief executive officer, pledged $100,000 to cover the prices.

Gwinnett County spokesman Bernard Watson said the situation is “evolving.” While the county, the state’s largest, has not reversed its decision to cancel classes at six high schools, Watson said Gwinnett County is working with state officials “to explore options for this course.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Education

Watch: How to Create Inclusive and Supportive Classroom Spaces | Life Hacks

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Bobby Morgan, Director and Founder of Liberation Lab, joins Life Hacks with Liana to discuss Liberation Lab and how to create inclusive and supportive spaces in classrooms.

“So I’ve been trying to build educators who can change the world through culturally responsive teaching and restorative practices,” Morgan continued. “I believe those are the 2 intersections where we are able to have probably the most impact, irrespective of what the external aspects could be: budgets might change, resources might change. But you possibly can still train teachers to be culturally responsive.

Watch the complete video and for more suggestions, click here.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Education

As the new school year begins, enrollment of black students at many elite colleges is declining

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Affirmative action, Black college enrollment, Black college admissions, college enrollment decline, Back-to-school, theGrio.com

The first-class of freshmen is entering college since the Supreme Court struck down affirmative motion last year — and many elite colleges have already seen declines in black student enrollment.

After the Massachusetts Institute of Technology announced a decline in black student enrollment, two more schools in the state reported the same. Amherst College and Tufts University, each in Massachusetts, in addition to the University of Virginia, reported declines in black student enrollment of various degrees. Boston schools were hit harder, with black student enrollment at Amherst falling by a full 8%, based on the report. New York Times (NOW).

Initially enacted in 1965 and updated in 1968 to incorporate gender, affirmative motion provided equal employment opportunities regardless of race, sex, religion, and national origin. Affirmative motion in higher education ensured that every one students received fair consideration for admission.

As the NYT further reports, many of the nation’s most elite and selective colleges haven’t yet released their data. Enrollment numbers for other races have also not been widely reported. But the data don’t bode well for what this might mean for black enrollment.

Meanwhile, based on a recent study conducted by Boys and Men’s Institute of AmericaHistorically, black colleges and universities have experienced declining enrollment of black men. The report found that black men now make up 26% of the HBCU student population, down from 36% in the mid-Seventies.

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According to the study’s authors, there are several aspects which have led to the decline in Black HBCU enrollment, including an absence of proper K-12 integration. “Targeted interventions in K-12 education in Black communities, increasing the representation of Black male teachers, and expanding funding opportunities for HBCUs and their potential students can all help increase Black male enrollment,” the authors wrote, adding, “Reforms in these critical areas can help HBCUs realize their full potential to support the educational and economic advancement of Black males.”

The study also found multiple advantages of an HBCU education, including the undeniable fact that HBCUs usually tend to enroll students from lower-income families than non-HBCUs, and such students are nearly twice as prone to advance economically.

As PWIs and other non-HBCUs grapple with the lack of affirmative motion, it’ll be interesting to see what impact this could have on HBCU student enrollment.

While more data is needed to completely understand the picture that is potentially being painted, college admissions are also bracing for a steep decline in enrollment across the country for a spread of reasons. Younger generations are selecting vocational programs as an alternative of four-year colleges in greater numbers. Many are dropping out of college and entering the job market, citing the high cost of higher education. Not to say the undeniable fact that falling birth rate in americathere’ll simply be fewer young adults.

When the positive discrimination ban was first introduced last year, many black leaders in higher education spoke out to warn of the potential consequences.

Carlotta Berry, a black professor living in Indiana, he said at that point“When I sit down and think about the amount of microaggressions and bias that I’ve experienced, even in a world where affirmative action is in place, I just don’t want to imagine what black and brown students might be experiencing right now, when they go from being one of two or three to possibly one of one.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Education

What fields of study are the most pathetic?

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College admissions, college enrollment, Black college enrollment, top regretted degrees, top degrees, top college degrees obtained by Black Americans, Back-to-school, theGrio.com

Although about half of people regret their alternative of college major, some majors elicit more regret than others.

According to the latest Federal Reserve report titled “Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2023“The most regrettable departures are from less organic or less obvious fields, comparable to the humanities and humanities, which might result in very diverse careers.

Social and behavioral sciences top the list, with 44% of graduates regretting their alternative. The list can also be rounded out by arts and humanities (43%), natural sciences (also 43%), law (41%), and education (38%).

Meanwhile, the fields of study that cause the least regret include engineering, computer science, business, and health sciences — one of the most continuously obtained diplomas by black studentsWhile many may find yourself regretting their law degree, law is one other popular major amongst black students.

According to the Federal Reserve, many individuals regret their degrees because they lack an honest or high salary and profession satisfaction. Many popular degree programs, comparable to humanities and humanities, have limited job opportunities in comparison with the number of degree holders. Industries comparable to journalism and communications, other majors that most regret, have modified rapidly, causing many to age quickly.

The report also confirmed that College enrollment amongst black Americans continues to say no. Author’s report Georgetown University The study of higher education trends amongst African Americans also found that African Americans often select majors that result in low-paying careers quite than pursuing degrees in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) and other higher-paying fields.

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The Federal Reserve report found that although they were satisfied, most respondents would study something else in the event that they got a second likelihood. Regardless, at 80%, most college graduates don’t regret going to school in any respect.

“More than half of adults who ever enrolled in higher education after high school (and are not currently enrolled) said the financial benefits of a college education over its lifetime outweigh the financial costs,” the analysts wrote in the report.

The analysts continued: “Most people value the education they received, but with the benefit of hindsight and life experience, there is also a common belief that other educational decisions could have been better.”

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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