Public pressure and student testimony lead Harford County BOE to restore AP African American Studies

A standing‑room crowd pressed the Harford County Board of Education on July 15 to reverse its earlier decision denying regular status to AP African American Studies, and the board voted to restore the course after hearing student testimony, teacher briefings and a plan for classroom safeguards.

The evening’s public comment window — more than 200 people were recorded as registering and at least 60 spoke in person — was dominated by students, teachers and community leaders who described the course as academically rigorous and personally transformative. "This course made me feel seen, heard and understood," said Haven Rosen, a student who took the pilot course at Aberdeen High School. "African American history is American history." Several teachers and principals told the board the pilot produced strong student engagement and that many students expected APAA to be their first AP class.

Curriculum staff and AP teachers presented the College Board’s AP African American Studies (APAA) framework, described the course’s four units and a required student oral‑defense project, and outlined an implementation plan that includes teacher professional development, collaborative planning time, administrative walkthroughs and student/teacher surveys. "The course is evidence‑based, interdisciplinary and includes an oral defense that asks students to analyze multiple sources," said John Mobley, one of the APAA teachers who testified in support of keeping the course.

Board members pressed staff on specific concerns raised in public comment: whether the curriculum overemphasized oppression, how it treats policing and public safety, the balance of perspectives about economic systems and whether the materials gave adequate attention to positive achievements. Curriculum supervisor Erin Lang said the course materials were designed to require students to evaluate multiple viewpoints and that teachers are trained to lead evidence‑based deliberation rather than to promote particular political views. "We train teachers to present high‑quality sources, foster civil discourse and help students use evidence to form and defend conclusions," Lang said.

Several community organizations — including representatives of the Harford County Caucus of African American Leaders and statements submitted by the Legislative Black Caucus of Maryland — urged reconsideration. "We urge your reconsideration," the Legislative Black Caucus wrote in a letter cited during remarks; the letter noted the College Board’s process for creating the framework and warned that denying the course restricted students’ academic opportunities.

After extended discussion the board took a roll‑call vote on a motion to approve the revised course as presented. The motion passed by majority voice/roll call (members voting in favor recorded on the public roll call), officially returning the APAA course to regular status and allowing the district to offer the course as part of the 2024–25 schedule with the implementation supports detailed by staff.

The decision leaves several points for ongoing oversight: board members asked staff to continue reporting on the post‑exam menu of options, suggested a list of optional research topics to ensure a wide range of figures and perspectives are available to students, and requested periodic progress updates on classroom implementation and student outcomes. Superintendent and curriculum staff committed to continuing collaborative planning with teachers and to incorporating specific requests from the board into the implementation plan.

What happens next: teachers and principals will organize sections for the fall; curriculum staff plan PD during launch week and ongoing collaborative planning during the year. The board asked staff to provide updates and artifacts of student work as part of oversight going forward.