美国国家公共电台 NPR--Did the College Board cave to pressure to revise African American studies curriculum?

Did the College Board cave to pressure to revise African American studies curriculum?

Transcript¹

NPR's Leila Fadel talks to Teresa Reed, dean of the University of Louisville's School of Music and a member of the committee that developed the College Board's AP African American studies class.

LEILA FADEL, HOST:

The College Board is being accused of giving in to political pressure now that it's revised an Advanced Placement African American Studies curriculum. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis had threatened to ban the course, claiming it contributed to a, quote, "political agenda." Certain Black writers were taken out of the curriculum that explored critical race theory, the queer experience and Black feminism. Lessons on things like Black Lives Matter are now optional. Joining us is Teresa Reed, the dean of the University of Louisville's School of Music. She's a member of the committee that developed the new framework. Good morning, Teresa.

TERESA REED: Good morning.

FADEL: Did the College Board cave into political pressure here?

REED: Absolutely not. And I can answer that by addressing some misunderstandings about the framework and about the totality of the course. Let me say first that the framework is not the totality of the course. There are other elements of the course that are still under construction, one of which is a very powerful online platform called AP Classroom which supports all AP courses. And that is still being built for AP African American Studies. And it is on the platform where a very robust² selection of all of those supposedly controversial topics and authors will live.

FADEL: Does that include, though, the things I mentioned - writers that explore critical race theory, Black Lives Matter, reparations, all these things that are said to be controversial?

REED: Yes, the resources that address those controversial topics will live on AP Classroom that's being constructed for AP African American Studies. It's an online platform. And so that's separate and different from the framework itself. But it will be available to - it'll be widely available. And I should mention, those resources will be available - accessible free of charge.

FADEL: I guess my question here, though, is would the revisions have been made if it didn't become such a political issue among people like Governor DeSantis and others? Would it have been made if it wasn't being - if people weren't threatening to ban the course?

REED: No, not at all. The framework that was leaked was exactly the same - if you can imagine it, publishing a book. By the time you release a completed book, in the prior life of that book are probably multiple iterations or multiple earlier drafts. The earlier draft of the framework that is the point of comparison to the officially released framework was exactly that. It was a draft.

And so what's happened is that there was an assumption that the leaked draft was somehow an official pronouncement of what the course would include or exclude. And then the released version from the day before yesterday is to be compared to that. You know, if someone were to say to me, here's the book you published today, but here's your draft from a year ago. Why aren't they the same? How to answer that question - one would be stumped³ because the question itself is pretty ludicrous. But absolutely not - DeSantis was not a factor at all in the framework - outcome of the framework. But there again, if the College Board wanted to appease⁴ DeSantis, it didn't do a very good job because all of those supposedly controversial topics and authors will appear as secondary sources on AP Classroom.

The other thing that I'd like to point out is that there is a very important project that students can do or that students will be required to do as 20% of the AP exam - of the AP score, which enables them to exercise the skill of argumentation on any topic at all of their choosing. And that skill of argumentation, which is a part of the course, will instruct students on how to develop a thesis, how to compile credible⁵ evidence, and how to string together a line of reasoning to form a persuasive⁶ argument. Keep in mind that the students doing that project in Unit 4 will have had access to all of the kinds of supposedly controversial authors and topics that the College Board has been accused of eliminating, which will in fact live on the AP Classroom platform.

FADEL: After the draft was leaked, I mean, it became such a big news topic, a political hot topic, and so many issues that are explored are ultimately boogeymen in today's political landscape - critical race theory, this academic concept that's been around for 40 years. What was it like to watch that happen as you were developing the course?

REED: I think that these times are fraught⁷, and it's really important to keep students in the focus. I think the important thing about AP African American Studies at the end of the day is that it will enable students - thousands, potentially millions of students to get aspects of the American story that have traditionally not been told. And they'll get that story with robust pedagogy, many resources and the ability to think about themselves as situated⁸ in the American fabric⁹ in a very important way.

FADEL: Teresa Reed is a College Board consultant¹⁰. Thank you so much for your time.

REED: Thank you so much, Leila.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

3 stumped   

僵直地行走，跺步行走( stump的过去式和过去分词 )； 把（某人）难住； 使为难； （选举前）在某一地区作政治性巡回演说

参考例句：

• Jack huffed himself up and stumped out of the room. 杰克气喘吁吁地干完活，然后很艰难地走出房间。
• He was stumped by the questions and remained tongue-tied for a good while. 他被问得张口结舌，半天说不出话来。

4 appease   

v.安抚，缓和，平息，满足

参考例句：

• He tried to appease the crying child by giving him candy.他试图给那个啼哭的孩子糖果使他不哭。
• The government tried to appease discontented workers.政府试图安抚不满的工人们。

5 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

6 persuasive   

adj.有说服力的，能说得使人相信的

参考例句：

• His arguments in favour of a new school are very persuasive.他赞成办一座新学校的理由很有说服力。
• The evidence was not really persuasive enough.证据并不是太有说服力。

7 fraught   

adj.充满…的，伴有(危险等)的；忧虑的

参考例句：

• The coming months will be fraught with fateful decisions.未来数月将充满重大的决定。
• There's no need to look so fraught!用不着那么愁眉苦脸的！

8 situated   

adj.坐落在...的，处于某种境地的

参考例句：

• The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
• She is awkwardly situated.她的处境困难。

9 fabric   

n.织物，织品，布；构造，结构，组织

参考例句：

• The fabric will spot easily.这种织品很容易玷污。
• I don't like the pattern on the fabric.我不喜欢那块布料上的图案。

10 consultant   

n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生

参考例句：

• He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
• Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来，加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。