I would say change the assertion to be: AP classes are being turned into a scam by schools. For many students, AP classes are a good thing. They provide to tho

I would say change the assertion to be: AP classes are being turned into a scam by schools. For many students, AP classes are a good thing. They provide to those capable of doing advanced work a chance to move ahead at a faster pace. The classes alleviate the boredom many students face during the high school years. For these students the classes are a positive. Any actual college credit received for the work done is a secondary benefit for this group. Unfortunately the use of AP classes is being undermined by disreputable school administrations. Facing calls to provide a better education, these schools have used participation in AP classes as a metric to show improvement. To raise the participation rate the schools have lowered the admittance requirements. The effect, particularly in non-science and math courses, has been that the classes are slowed down and are of less benefit to those who the classes were originally purposed for. My observations are based on being a parent of high school age children over the past ten years and talking with students about their frustration over having many AP classes regress to the typical class.