.png)
CONCORD, NH — Parents and educators throughout New Hampshire continue to seethe at Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut's attempt to try and sneak PragerU content into New Hampshire schools.
Earlier this month, Edelblut shamelessly tried to rush a vote on whether to force content from PragerU — a far-right and non-accredited political organization — to be included as part of New Hampshire high school program that would count toward graduation requirements. The decision was tabled by the State Board of Education until its next meeting on September 14.
In response, Granite Staters have swarmed newspapers and news media statewide, letting their outrage be known. Read more:
Concord Monitor: Letter: On PragerU
In the world of education, where facts are taught not opinions, PragerU is a laughingstock. Populated by right-wing fantasists and fascist apologists, the Monitor’s article undersells their propensity to promote fiction as reality.
Sentinel Source: Reader Opinion: Frank Edelblut, NH and PragerU, by Mary Myers
PragerU is not accredited and not an academic institution. It is a conservative media organization promoting extreme right wing views.
It espouses climate change denial despite the facts. Its videos promote misleading information about racism and LGBTQ issues. It has had some videos removed from YouTube and Google because of hate speech.
We need to elect officials who will not appoint unqualified people to positions to promote false narratives and undermine unbiased education when they think people aren’t looking, rather than doing the hard work of addressing real life concerns of Granite Staters.
Caledonian Record: Reject PragerU - Betsy Phillips
This an alarming disregard for unbiased education in New Hampshire classrooms promoted by the very man who is supposed to be guarding the integrity of our schools.
It should be defeated once and for all in the interest of maintaining the integrity of New Hampshire’s schools and assuring that New Hampshire’s teachers can deliver an honest, unbiased education to their students.
The potential inclusion of PragerU content in our schools threatens to politicize the learning environment for New Hampshire children, undermining the values of critical thinking and intellectual growth.
We need new leadership to prioritize New Hampshire public education. That can happen in November 2024. Both Democratic gubernatorial candidates Cinde Warmington and Joyce Craig have pledged to improve public education, fire Edelblut and rid us of his negative, costly, half-baked, disastrous ideas forever.
Concord Monitor: Letter: It’s worse than you think
Our current commissioner is part of a nationwide movement to indoctrinate our children in a version of history that no sensible person would ever agree with. Do not let the doors be opened for such pernicious nonsense.
Concord Monitor: Letter: PragerU is a propaganda outlet, not a university
Their videos disregard the effects of climate change related to fossil fuels, produce anti-LGBTQ content, and propose that slavery had some benefits.
Last week, Republicans, led by Education Commissioner Frank Edelblut, advised the NH Board of Education to sign off on a proposal to allow PragerU content into our high schools. Fortunately, Granite Staters do not tolerate this nonsense.
Valley News: Editorial: Reject ‘low-quality’ curriculum
Ot describes itself as “the world’s leading conservative nonprofit that is focused on changing minds through the creative use of digital media.” Perhaps more candidly, its co- founder, conservative talk show host Dennis Prager, is reported to have acknowledged in a recent speech that its purpose is to indoctrinate children with its right-wing ideology.
In our view, as important as financial literacy is, it's hardly worth the risk of promoting political, social and cultural illiteracy in children.
"It’s sort of funny because the commissioner of education, Edelblut, thinks he’s somehow going to be able to rescue this failing program by bringing on a propaganda mill, PragerU, to provide curriculum to schools,” Luneau said.
Providers in Learn Everywhere don’t need to be accredited, according to the Department of Education. Instead, they fill out an application describing what they offer and other details, and it’s up to the State Board of Education to decide whether to allow them in the program.Keene Sentinel: Reader Opinion: Frank Edelblut, NH and PragerU, by Mary Meyers
PragerU is not accredited and not an academic institution. It is a conservative media organization promoting extreme right wing views. It has been working with the Florida and Texas departments of education. It espouses climate change denial despite the facts. Its videos promote misleading information about racism and LGBTQ issues. It has had some videos removed from YouTube and Google because of hate speech.
Why would the N.H. Department of Education enlist an out-of-state, non-educational organization with extreme right wing views for any course? It legitimizes PragerU and provides an inroad for further involvement with them, and opens students’ exposure to PragerU’s indoctrination.
InDepthNH: PragerU Is a Bad Fit for the Granite State
PragerU was established in 2009 by conservative talk radio host Dennis Prager and radio producer and screenwriter Allen Estrin. It uses conservative pundits and activists along with Republican National Committee members to tout its conservative philosophy in its videos it offers free to schools.
This appears to be an attempt to give Prager a foot in New Hampshire’s public education door through a non- or less-controversial course on financial literacy and then open the door a little wider down the road to more of its free content. This was the process used when Edelblut gave Prenda a multi-million dollar contract to “catch up” students who fell behind during the pandemic and then could be expanded.
Comentários