![]() ![]() Opponents in New Hampshire went so far as to argue that PragerU’s branding as a “university” constitutes a violation of consumer protection laws. We also trust that they will use both curriculum resources provided to them by our district and any other appropriate supplemental materials needed to support student growth.” Our instructional staff uses the Oklahoma Academic Standards and we believe that our teachers are the experts. We trust our teachers to do everything they can to help our students grow. In a statement to Rolling Stone, Oklahoma City Public Schools, which serves over 30,000 students in the Oklahoma City area, wrote that “the endorsement of PragerU by our State Superintendent doesn’t change anything we are doing in the classroom. Various districts told OKC Fox25 that they had no plans to allow Prager’s content to actually be used in classrooms, as it had not undergone review in accordance with Oklahoma Academic Standards. In Oklahoma, school districts protested their superintendent’s approval of PragerU by forcefully declaring that the organization’s content does not align with their established educational standards. ![]() Washington reassuring a pair of time-traveling cartoon children that slavery was “a reality everywhere in the world” and a pair of videos titled “How to Embrace Your Masculinity” and “How to Embrace Your Femininity” that advise young men to seek financial independence, set career goals, and become critical thinkers, and young women to “make yourself pretty,” “embrace the idea of being a wife and a mother,” and “try smiling.” Lowlights of PragerU’s programming include comparing climate change denialism to the Polish opposition against the Nazis a cartoon Booker T. “Obviously, we’ve got concerns about PragerU and their reputation threatening the integrity of public education in the state of New Hampshire.”įlorida Has 'Effectively Banned’ AP Psychology, College Board Says “ notorious for having ultra-conservative and highly ideological views on everything from climate change, to racism, to slavery, anti-LGBTQ stances,” Matt Wilhelm, the Democratic leader of the New Hampshire House of Representatives, tells Rolling Stone. In each of these states, concerns have been raised - and often ignored - over PragerU’s content. In Texas, where school board members are elected, the organization has been making overtures to Republican members of the board and engaged in deceptive practices to suggest their materials have received state approval. Earlier this month in Oklahoma, culture warring Republican superintendent Ryan Walters announced a “partnership” with PragerU, without subjecting the materials to a state curriculum review. The push in New Hampshire was backed by Edelblut and board chair Andrew Cline, who also serves as president of the Josiah Bartlett Center, a conservative free-market think tank. Ron DeSantis’ administration, which has prioritized infusing schools with right-wing ideology, was certainly accommodating in Florida. Any authorization, however minimal, is then marketed as a sweeping endorsement of their content and mission, boosting their credibility.įlorida Gov. The organization has sought rubber stamps by courting members of conservative administrations who in turn work to push through approvals. So far, a public debate on PragerU’s approval has been an exception to their standard mode of operation, but the hearing in New Hampshire and the events leading up to it are still emblematic of PragerU’s expansion strategy. PragerU’s official Twitter account later trolled a New Hampshire lawmaker who expressed disappointment in the board’s decision. Almost immediately after the hearing, Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut appeared in a video alongside PragerU CEO Marissa Streit, who called the vote a “victory for America,” and crowed that the partnership would mean “no more gaslighting” of parents about their child’s education. Board member Ryan Terrell described the opposition as an attack on “choice” by individuals “mobilized by political organizations” to demonize conservative ideology. They were dismissed by the conservative board, whose members were appointed by Republican Gov. The board’s vote came in the face of intense public opposition, with parents, teachers, school administrators, and even a pastor raising concerns during the hearing about the academic merits of the course, the lack of teacher involvement in the review process, and the risks of allowing PragerU to gain a foothold within the state.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |