Delighted to give 10th Petrusky Lecture at #NASW/#CASW #SciWri23, Sat 10/7 in Boulder CO on the lessons provided by Earth's past as we confront the #climatecrisis today--the topic of my forthcoming book, #OurFragileMoment: https://casw.org/news/climate-scientist-michael-mann-to-present-11th-patrusky-lecture/

TITLE: DeSantis Kicks Off Feud Over College Board’s AP Psychology Class—Gender & Sexual Orientation Issues

Thank you Dr. Pope:

-- Forwarded --

Politico released an article: “DeSantis kicks off feud over College Board’s AP psych class—Florida school districts had raised questions about an AP Psychology “learning objective” that covers gender and sexual orientation.”

Excerpts:

The College Board has rejected changing a high school Advanced Placement psychology course’s lessons on gender and sexual orientation, in a direct challenge to Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration that could reignite conflict between the education giant and the presidential hopeful.

Florida school districts had raised questions about an AP Psychology “learning objective” that covers gender and sexual orientation, the College Board acknowledged Thursday, after the DeSantis administration expanded restrictions and regulations on classroom instruction in April.

<snip>

It is unclear whether Florida will now block the AP psychology course from classrooms, the College Board told educators.

“Please know that we will not modify our courses to accommodate restrictions on teaching essential, college-level topics,” the board said Thursday in a letter... “Doing so would break the fundamental promise of AP: colleges wouldn’t broadly accept that course for credit and that course wouldn’t prepare students for success in the discipline.”

The latest fracas between Florida and the College Board stems from a recently revamped state rule that expands legislation — panned as the “Don’t Say Gay” law by its critics — to restrict classroom instruction on sexual orientation or sexual identity to all K-12 students...

<snip>

On May 19, Florida’s education department pressed the College Board to review all of its courses to determine if any “need modification to ensure compliance” with Florida laws and regulations by this week. “Some courses may contain content or topics prohibited by State Board of Education rule and Florida law,” the state wrote to the board in a letter obtained by POLITICO.

The College Board retorted that its psychology lessons should remain unchanged, signaling a shift in how it will address Florida’s legal demands following this year’s battle over its proposed African American Studies course.

“The learning objective within AP Psychology that covers gender and sexual orientation has specifically been raised by some Florida districts relative to these recent regulations,” the board wrote to Florida officials. “That learning objective must remain a required topic, just as it has been in Florida since the launch of AP Psychology more than 30 years ago.”

Cassie Palelis, press secretary for the Florida Department of Education, said Thursday that the College Board is responsible for ensuring that their submitted materials comply with Florida law.

“We applaud the College Board for standing up to the state of Florida and its unconscionable demand to censor an educational curriculum and test that were designed by college faculty and experienced AP teachers who ensure that the course and exam reflect the state of the science and college-level expectations,” American Psychological Association CEO Arthur Evans Jr. said in a statement.

Florida’s objections to the AP African American studies course angered many Black leaders nationwide...

“We don’t know if the state of Florida will ban this course,” the College Board said of AP Psychology in a message to educators and schools. “To AP teachers in Florida, we are heartbroken by the possibility of Florida students being denied the opportunity to participate in this or any other AP course.”

The College Board also had a message for all educators: “Please know we will not modify any of the 40 AP courses — from art to history to science — in response to regulations that would censor college-level standards for credit, placement, and career readiness,” the board said. “We are resolute in this position, in part, because of what we learned from our mistakes in the recent rollout of AP African American Studies.

Florida is creating its own high-level courses and exams to rival the nationally recognized AP courses. State lawmakers earlier this year agreed to spend a combined $2.8 million developing a homegrown program and, in another challenge to the College Board, paved the way for students to use the Classic Learning Test, or CLT, as an alternative to the SAT and ACT.

Ken Pope

~~~
Forwarded by:
Michael Reeder LCPC
Baltimore, MD

#lgbt #lgbtq #bannedbooks #psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #culturewar #doctors #medicine #ACA #APA #NASW #bluestate #redstate #USA #politics #AP #CollegeBoard#gender #sexualorientation

TITLE: Healthcare Professional Associations and Blue/Red States

A topic that has been on my mind periodically -- the near inevitability that healthcare professional associations will be splitting into two or more factions in the coming few years. Yet I have not seen any discussion of this to-date.

I cast no shade upon associations (ACA, APA, NASW, AMA, etc.) and I do not have any particular current behavior of these associations in mind. In fact -- most associations have been publicly supportive of LBGTQ+, transgender, and reproductive choice rights; and sometimes immigrant and religious rights. Instead, I'm looking at two areas of likely concern:

a) Ethical codes versus law
b) Financial concerns

Most healthcare associations that I'm aware of have professional ethical code standards promoting client self-determination, and require equal treatment of all clients/patients. A large number of "red states" have recently passed or started enforcing any number of laws discriminating against transgender youth and adults, the LGBTQ+ community, immigrants, abortion and other reproductive rights practices, and sometimes alternative religions. The exact details and rationale vary by state.

This all creates a major dilemma for healthcare practitioners in these red states. Do they:

1) Take an ethical stand and risk their licenses and/or jail time?
2) Protect their livelihoods and risk violating current professional association ethics rules?
3) Flee to "blue states"?

This all also creates dilemmas for professional associations. Do they:

1) Fight red state laws, and risk legal consequences for themselves and their members?
2) Enforce ethical practice standards in red states or turn a blind eye to discriminatory ethical code violations of members in red states in order to not make waves and maintain membership roles?
3) Change (water down) ethical codes in order to continue functioning in both blue and red states? Perhaps develop state-specific ethical codes? (Some ethical codes already contain possible escape clauses about functioning within the laws of each state.)

There are strong legal and ethical considerations in all of the above options.

Then -- perhaps -- there are financial concerns (although I hope money is not the deciding factor). The PGA Tour spent the past few years vilifying the human rights record of the Saudis and ostracizing golfers who joined the LIV Tour. Now they are merging, leading to charges of sportswashing and money trumping all else. I assume that healthcare provider associations operate differently (right?), but nonetheless find myself wondering which option would cost them more in terms of money, membership, and power:

a) Maintaining a strong emphasis on current non-discriminatory ethical codes, thereby causing an exodus of red state members and the creation of competing associations with ethical codes compatible with red state discriminatory laws? Or
b) Watering down ethical codes, not enforcing ethical codes, and/or claiming "following state law" trumps all else; thereby causing an exodus of progressive liberal members and the creation of competing associations with ethical codes stricter on non-discrimination and more compatible with blue state laws?

I fear that option a) directly above would be the more profitable choice. Everyone (progressive liberal and conservative) can continue functioning under watered-down ethics and associations can continue functioning in all states. I speculate that fewer members would be lost to progressive liberals resigning than to all members in red states resigning and associations risking prosecution by red state governments.

What are your thoughts on this matter?

Are there publications and/or studies addressing these issues? Ongoing deliberations amongst healthcare professional association leadership?

Thanks,
Michael

#lgbt #lgbtq #bannedbooks #psychology #counseling #socialwork #psychotherapy @psychotherapist @psychotherapists @psychology @socialpsych @socialwork @psychiatry #mentalhealth #psychiatry #culturewar #doctors #medicine #ACA #APA #NASW #nursing #bluestate #redstate #AMA #ANA #nurses #USA #politics @doctor

Gender-affirming care ban for kids, trans bathroom bill are now Iowa law. What they do:
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/22/gender-affirming-care-ban-and-transgender-bathroom-bill-become-iowa-law-what-it-means/70004084007/

Iowa enacts transgender bathroom bill and ban on gender-affirming care for minors
Iowa’s Senate also passed a bill Wednesday that mirrors Florida’s "Don’t Say Gay" law.
https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-politics-and-policy/iowa-enacts-transgender-bathroom-bill-ban-gender-affirming-care-minors-rcna76301

Abortion remains legal for the moment -- at least until a court case is settled.

Iowa House Democrats unveil reproductive rights bills; GOP majority will block them
https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/politics/2023/03/21/iowa-house-democrats-unveil-abortion-rights-bills-in-opposition-to-gop/70029226007/

#socialwork @psychotherapists @psychology @psychiatry
#psychology #psychotherapy #telehealth #telemedicine #abortion #women @socialwork #mentalhealth #choice #PSYPACT #APA #ACA #NASW #psychiatry #transgender #transgenderrights

I am very confused by IPA's position.

Just about ALL US states have mental health practitioner laws requiring mandated reporting for danger to self (suicidal) or others.

I am under the impression that PSYPACT practitioners seeing clients have to follow the laws of the state in which the client is in. AM I WRONG?

I speculate without evidence that this is more about the culture war currently going on in the USA. Psychologists from outside Iowa would be hard for Iowa to prosecute if they violated any fascist laws that might arise regarding restricting women's choice, helping transgender clients, etc.

I don't know that this is the real agenda here -- I merely am suspicious.

I worry about our professional associations having to split into two factions -- right-wing versus progressive in the next few years.

#socialwork @psychotherapists @psychology @psychiatry
#psychology #psychotherapy #telehealth #telemedicine #abortion #women @socialwork #mentalhealth #choice #PSYPACT #APA #ACA #NASW #psychiatry #transgender #transgenderrights

The National Association of Science Writers (NASW) will host its Science Writers 2023 conference in Boulder, Colorado, October 6-10. Please consider submitting a session proposal. The deadline is March 7, 2023.
#sciwri23 #scicomm #sciencewriting #nasw #conference #sessions
https://www.nasw.org/article/nasw-science-writers-journalism-submit-national-conference-session-proposal-sciencewriters2023-boulder-colorado

Thanks to @campjacob there is now an official list of #SocialWork practitioners on Mastodon. Add your name and say a bit about yourself or browse the list to discover peers!

Add yourself https://forms.gle/jK1JswjiYyJAfwnQ6

Browse the list https://bit.ly/3Id8ZLb

Other lists https://github.com/nathanlesage/academics-on-mastodon/

#LCSW #BSW #MSW #NASW #SocialWorker #SocialJustice #CaseManagement #SocialService #ChildWelfare #Charity #Counselor #MacroSW #ChildProtection #SocialRights #SocialPolicy @socialwork

So my first choice of a #MSW program to transfer to fell through, they weren't up front about some serious problems in their conduct that is sharply at odds with the core of the #NASW code of ethics.

I'm settled in a good place with only one in-person option, so I'm looking at exploring online MSWs.

Has anyone done an online MSW or taught classes for one? I have a semester of classes done and need to be full-time.

#socialwork #university #gradschool

Oh and #socialwork of course! #nasw

Science writers (North American): Submit your best work for the NASW #SciWriAwards by February 1, 2023. Categories are Science in Society Journalism and Excellence in Institutional Writing. #ScienceJournalism #SciComm #awards #writing #NASW #ScienceWriters
https://nasw.org/article/nasw-science-writers-journalism-institutional-writing-awards-entries-open-due-february-2023

@Radicalsocialworker

I'm a licensed clinical SW w/decades of experience. Unfortunately, most social workers are NOT radical social workers, even if they know better. One can romanticize the profession til the sun comes up but then there's its national organization, the #NASW. Sadly, what #ChrisHedges says about the #LiberalClass also applies to that organization, not that anyone's really listening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_dANFfwcSGc