Staci Childs, a Democratic member of the Texas State Board of Schooling, is within the highlight for her sturdy opposition in opposition to PragerU, a conservative media firm that has set its sights on infiltrating the state’s school rooms with its controversial curriculum that has been making main waves on social media.
PragerU, quick for Prager College, is not any stranger to controversy. Based by radio host Dennis Prager, the group has drawn criticism for its unaccredited, nonacademic strategy to training, which is closely infused with hyper-conservative social and political viewpoints. These viewpoints, many argue, are ahistorical and anti-scientific.
What occurred ?
The battle started when PragerU secured approval from the Florida Division of Schooling to incorporate its supplies in school rooms, inflicting concern amongst dad and mom and educators who feared the potential affect of PragerU’s ideological content material. The group shortly sought to develop its attain past Florida, and its efforts landed in Texas.
In a video launched by PragerU in August, CEO Marissa Streit and Julie Pickren, a Houston-area Republican on the State Board of Schooling, expressed their eagerness to introduce PragerU’s curriculum to Texas college students. Nevertheless, Childs and her fellow Democratic board members swiftly responded, making it clear that PragerU had not obtained approval to be used in Texas public colleges.
Childs, a passionate advocate for high quality training and the preservation of educational requirements, has been vocal about her opposition to PragerU’s content material. She stated that any distributors who present curiosity in working with the state’s comptroller the corporate must be “authorized and vetted.” An account should be created and pay a $70 payment. The Texas Comptroller’s Workplace registered PragerU as a vendor, however the board should approve earlier than their content material can be utilized in colleges.
“There’s a high-quality issue we’re searching for. We’re searching for whether or not or not these supplies are appropriate, Childs stated. “PragerU shouldn’t be absolved from going by means of this course of that different distributors undergo and their in case you ask me, they don’t meet the expectations.”
She stated she is most involved concerning the deceptive narratives about Black historical past and the downplaying of the horrors of slavery.
“Our Black and Brown youth are already coping with lots in colleges and in terms of our tales, they should hear the reality,” Youngster stated. “This gained’t occur below my watch.”
PragerU strikes again
The scenario took a private flip when CJ Pearson, certainly one of PragerU’s hosts, launched an assault on Childs through Twitter, accusing her of hypocrisy for deeming PragerU’s supplies “inappropriate.” Not solely is Childs an training advocate, however she additionally faucets into her reward as a inventive showcasing her music pursuits on social media. Some songs talked about the place not age applicable for youngsters, which grew to become the goal for Pearson who stated “Texans need to know who’s representing them on the State Board of Schooling. She ought to resign.
PragerU has moved strategically to pitching this concept to conservatives in determination making positions. It has expanded its attain to not solely Florida however New Hampshire as properly. The New Hampshire Board of Schooling voted unanimously for PragerU’s on-line “Money Course,” which might enable college students to earn commencement credit score in the direction of the state’s monetary literacy training requirement.
The official PragueU announcement video has not been taken down.
