The Real Problem With AP Classes

The controversy surrounding AP African American studies has reignited a broader debate about the purpose of Advanced Placement courses in high school classrooms — and the role of the College Board as a college gatekeeper. The AP program is decades old, expansive, and lucrative — bringing in nearly half a billion dollars in revenue for the College Board, the nonprofit that oversees it, in 2020. But challenges to its methods and dominance aren’t limited to Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. A wider range of critics with different perspectives are arguing that it’s time to rethink the role AP classes play in American education.