Charlie Kirk's Murder Sparks Debate Over Ideological Influences in K-12 Education
The murder of Charlie Kirk has sparked debate about ideological influences in education. K-12 schools are facing scrutiny for contracts with controversial consultants, such as Community Responsive Education (CRE), which some allege promote far-left ideologies and antisemitism.
Pajaro Valley Unified School District recently approved a $90,000 contract with CRE for professional development and curriculum guidance. This follows a similar contract with Jefferson Union High School District, which faced criticism for controversial content in its ethnic studies course. CRE and its allies deny allegations of antisemitic content, but their far-left ideology can potentially open the door to it.
Since 2019, the Linux Foundation has been negotiating with a Vermont government group on a contract for the design and writing of a standards framework. Meanwhile, left-wing individuals and groups, including CRE, have been influential in creating curriculums and lessons for education publishers and content providers like Newsela. Ethnic studies consultants have also influenced K-12 curriculum, state standards, and even Smithsonian Institution courses.
Congress is debating how to address the surge of antisemitism on college campuses and potential federal subsidies. The influence of ideological consultants in K-12 education is a growing concern, with some contracts worth tens of thousands of dollars. As seen in the cases of Pajaro Valley and Jefferson Union districts, these contracts can raise controversial issues and spark debate.
