By GARRY RAYNO, InDepthNH.org
CONCORD — A controversial, conservative, free education program is up for a vote Thursday before the State Board of Education.
The non-profit PragerU Kids program would help fulfill a state requirement students take financial literacy as a graduation requirement and would be available under the Department of Education’s Learn Everywhere Program.
The program was founded by conservative talk radio host Dennis Prager and uses conservative pundits and activists along with Republican National Committee members to tout its conservative philosophy in its videos it offers free to schools.
The program has come under fire for what some call its misleading views on climate change, slavery and racism, immigration, history of fascism and its anti-LGBTQ bent.
On its website, PragerU Kids says it teaches “American Values” while “Woke agendas are infiltrating classrooms, culture and social media.”
Former House Education Committee Chair, Rep. David Luneau, D-Hopkinton, said a report last fall noted the Learn Everywhere Program has few kids taking advantage of it, but that has not stopped Commissioner Frank Edelblut from bringing more programs onto it.
“But Prager goes beyond questionable,” Luneau said, “and some argued its right along the road to fascism.”
To have the commissioner and House Majority Leader Jason Osborne rail against public education on the floor, to talk about public schools indoctrinating kids, Luneau said, all you have to do is look at PragerU, that is exactly what they want to do.
According to the evaluation report submitted to Edelblut in order to make a recommendation to the state board, “PragerU Kids has submitted this Learn Everywhere program application, in accordance with Ed 1403.01, requesting an initial one-year approval to issue certificates for 0.5 credit in Financial Literacy to be applied toward meeting high school graduation requirements. Certificates may also be issued for this course as an Open Elective if the student has fulfilled their Financial Literacy requirement.”
The PragerU Kids financial literacy program is one of only a few such programs for high school students, as most financial literacy curriculum has been in civics and economics content areas.
The application to provide half of the one credit required for financial literacy was submitted June 28 to the Department of Education and was deemed complete by the department on July 3.
A two-person assessment committee was formed with two DOE officials and they sought input from teachers and the extended learning opportunity network, but neither group had members respond to review the application, according to the committee report.
The two members of the committee raised concerns there were no competencies associated with the course and students could “Google the answers” at the end and receive credit without having to prove any understanding of the subject matter.
The members also note the program does address some of the state’s standards, but one assessment at the end of the course does not ensure the students have mastered the content.
PragerU Kids responded they would change the program to address the concerns.
“We have changed the assessment to be aligned with the competencies and upped the amount needed right to prevent someone from failing a competency and still getting credit. We’ve also addressed the parent attestation and student evaluation,” the PragerU Kids officials wrote.
At the end of the evaluation, the two committee members wrote “following your review of this evaluation report you shall submit it, and the associated attachment, along with a recommendation to the State Board of Education. You may recommend that the State Board of Education deny, approve, or conditionally approve the PragerU Kids Academy initial application.”
The PragerU Kids curriculum has been approved this year for use in Florida schools by the Florida Board of Education, but many school districts in that state have said they have no intentions of using the programs.
PragerU Kids is a non-profit, not an educational institution and does not confer degrees and is not accredited by any recognized body.
It was founded in 2009 by Prager and radio producer and screenwriter Allen Estrin.
The organization has had some of its videos put on restricted mode by YouTube and Google due to their content including in 2020 when YouTube took down two anti-trans videos featuring Candace Owens for violating their policy on hate speech.
The board will vote on Edelblut’s recommendation at its meeting Thursday beginning at 10 a.m. at the Granite State College Building’s Event Center at 25 Hall St. Concord.
Garry Rayno may be reached at garry.rayno@yahoo.com.