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

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.”