Why Democratic state education board members decry PragerU's interest in Texas students

An announcement last month by conservative media company PragerU that it was bringing its education videos to Texas stirred outrage and confusion among some state education leaders.

The announcement by the company, which counts K-12 education as one of its priorities, left many in education wondering what the company meant when it said it was coming to Texas. However, for others, the announcement illustrated a national conversation about how politics has bled into public education policy.

On its website, PragerU says it “offers a free alternative to the dominant left-wing ideology in culture, media and education” with videos targeted at both children and adults. The child-oriented content includes topics on civics, history and global issues. PragerU critics, however, accuse the company of lying about fossil fuel's effect on climate change and of whitewashing history.

In its video announcement, PragerU CEO Michelle Streit, joined by Texas State Board of Education member Julie Pickren, R-Pearland, said: “It’s such a huge honor for us to partner with the great state of Texas. We really hope that this initiative will help catapult Texas to No. 1” in education.

However, Texas State Board of Education Chairman Kevin Ellis told the American-Statesman that he had "no knowledge of PragerU submitting any instructional material for approval to the SBOE in the past, and specifically I know that PragerU has not submitted any instructional materials to the SBOE under the new instructional material review process that was adopted by the Legislature this year."

On Tuesday, several Democratic members of the state education board admonished PragerU’s curriculum and Pickren’s appearance in the introductory video.

Education board member Aicha Davis, D-Dallas, called PragerU’s curriculum “misleading and false” and cautioned that Texas schools should be teaching critical thinking and open discussion.

“The attempt to inject radical ideologies into our schools attempts to erode these values,” Davis said.

Partisan political conversations nationwide have emboldened some people to spread divisiveness in education, said state education board member Marisa Perez-Diaz, D-El Paso.

“There’s a concerted effort to specifically identify education as the platform for indoctrination,” Perez-Diaz said. “We’re working with the most vulnerable, malleable minds.”

Since the COVID-19 pandemic caused schools to temporarily close in 2020, education-focused political rhetoric has become increasingly charged. Conversations about wearing masks and reopening schools ignited partisan education policy fights at all levels of government.

Board member Staci Childs, D-Houston, spoke vehemently against the state education board ever approving PragerU in schools.

“They’re spewing lies, and they’re OK spewing lies to millions of students,” Childs said. “Not on my watch. Absolutely not.”

PragerU's curriculum and videos “glorify hyper-capitalism,” and are “rife with misogyny and white saviorism,” said Kelsey Kling, government relations and policy adviser for the Texas American Federation of Teachers, a union that represents all nonadministrative certified and classified public school employees in the state.

“PragerU is nothing more than a propaganda machine,” Kling said.

PragerU

The conservative media nonprofit has been around since 2009, but sparked interest earlier this month when Florida approved PragerU K-12 videos for classroom use, leading some researchers to fact check its content.

Founded in part by Dennis Prager, a conservative radio talk show host, PragerU’s K-12 education videos are a newer initiative for the company.

The company's 2022 annual report noted the program was in its second full year and is "defending children from wide-spread left-wing brainwashing" and is showcasing "our freedom-loving ideas and classic American values."

On its website, Streit, the company's CEO, says: "PragerU is redefining how people think about media and education. We produce Edutainment — an intersection of education and entertainment. Our content is essential to shaping culture and preserving American ideals."

In 2021, the nonprofit reported $65.2 million in revenue and $45.4 million in expenses, according to publicly available federal financial reporting forms.

The nonprofit’s chief development officer – David Prager, the son of Dennis Prager – made $442,845 that year, according to the report. The nonprofit also paid $493,333 to Kansas & Brooklyn, a consulting firm owned by Dennis Prager.

PragerU, Streit and Dennis Prager did not respond to Statesman requests for comment.

The announcement

While the company in its announcement said it was “an approved education vendor in Texas,” it hasn’t gotten specific approval from any state agencies.

The company hasn’t gone through any processes to become an approved vendor by the State Board of Education or the Texas Education Agency, the agency confirmed.

PragerU also hasn’t received specific approval from the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, according to a spokesman for that office.

PragerU has been registered on the Centralized Master Bidders List, which just indicates the company has paid a fee necessary to be registered to do business, according to the spokesman.

“Though we maintain the list, we do not endorse, recommend or attest to the capabilities of any business or individual listed,” the state comptroller office's spokesman said.

In an Aug. 23 post on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, Pickren clarified that PragerU was referring to the comptroller’s master bidder list.

“Texas wins when vendors present their best products for approval,” Pickren said.

Pickren declined to comment further when the Statesman approached her at a State Board of Education meeting last week.

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Some Texas education board members decry PragerU's interest in state