- The Florida Board of Education has approved the use of PragerU’s conservative curriculum in public schools, making it the first state education agency to do so.
- PragerU is a nonprofit organization that offers video, magazine, and book resources as an alternative to what they perceive as left-wing ideology in culture, media, and education.
- The organization’s PragerU Kids content will be brought to K-12 classrooms in Florida to provide an optional resource for teachers.
- This decision comes as Florida adopts the Classic Learning Test (CLT) as an alternative college entrance exam to the SAT and ACT.
The Florida Board of Education became the first state education agency to approve the use of PragerU’s conservative curriculum in public schools, the organization confirmed to The Capitolist on Friday.
PragerU, a nonprofit organization, produces video, magazine, and book resources as an alternative to what they perceive as the dominant left-wing ideology prevalent in culture, media, and education. The group’s stated mission is to “provide a free alternative to the prevailing left-wing narratives in schools,” according to its website.
According to the group, the current education system “prioritizes pushing radical activism over imparting factual knowledge, leading to concerns about students’ academic performance.” To address these issues, PragerU has introduced PragerU Kids content, which they are now bringing to classrooms.
“In the past, teachers have been disciplined for showing our content in their classrooms so we are thrilled that Florida has become the first state to officially approve PragerU Kids as an optional resource that teachers can use in K-12 classrooms without fear of being reprimanded beginning this school year,” said Melissa Nystrom, a communications specialist for PragerU.
The decision comes as Florida implements new academic standards for Black history classes following the Stop W.O.K.E. Act, which restricts teachings about systemic racism and prohibits educators from suggesting that people are “privileged or oppressed” based solely on their race, national origin, or sex. Despite PragerU’s approval as an educational vendor in Florida, the organization is not accredited and does not offer degrees.
“The best part about our lessons is that parents will no longer be in the dark about what their kids are learning in schools since all of our resources are available on our website. More transparency for parents and more resources for teachers is a major win for children’s education,” Nystrom continued.
Florida Education Association President Andrew Spar took to Twitter earlier this week to speak against PragerU’s teaching, referring to it as propaganda and a false recounting of historical events.
“This is the propaganda that the governor wants to use in Florida,” said Spar. “We believe in teaching an honest history; a complete history. We believe in teaching the truth, and we believe in being transparent in our teachings. This is part of the agenda of Gov. Ron DeSantis.”
The adoption of PragerU’s material comes just a week after the Florida Board of Education unanimously adopted a provision during its meeting on Wednesday to include the Classic Learning Test (CLT), which is “heavily based in Western culture” and was “devised to follow the great classical and Christian tradition” as an additional assessment option to satisfy high school graduation requirements.
With Florida becoming the first state to formally adopt the assessment, its administering will serve as an alternative to the SAT and ACT. The CLT, a college entrance exam assessing English, grammar, and math skills, features a scaled score range of 0 to 120.
Several religiously-affiliated postsecondary institutions such as Ave Maria University and Palm Beach Atlantic University have accepted the CLT as a college entrance exam for several years, though New College of Florida and the University of South Florida became the first public colleges to preemptively adopt the exam earlier this year.