COLUMBIA, S.C. — Some education leaders are speaking out against a controversial partnership bringing videos from a conservative nonprofit to SC schools.
PragerU announced a partnership with South Carolina's Department of Education on Monday in a video with the media group's CEO, Marissa Streit and Superintendent Ellen Weaver.
"It's not even a gray bias; it’s an in-your-face bias on some lessons of history," said Sherry East, president of the South Carolina Education Association.
PragerU's website says they're a "conservative nonprofit that is focused on changing minds through the creative use of digital media." Some videos on their Youtube Channel include "The Left Cares More About Race Than Class" and "How to Deal with Transgenderism In Schools."
PragerU also released a list of videos that are grouped to various South Carolina state standards, with videos including "If there is no God—murder isn’t wrong" and "Do Not Misuse God's Name."
"We have serious concerns about the religious content of PragerU’s videos, which often cross the line from information to indoctrination," said Paul Bowers from the SC ACLU. "The First Amendment’s prohibition on establishing a state religion still applies in South Carolina classrooms, no matter what Superintendent Weaver may tell you."
"Who vetted this material?" said East. "Because I have talked to several social studies people this week about this and they are very upset and concerned that someone thinks that this is how should teach history in South Carolina."
According to a spokesperson, the content will be optional for teachers to use, and the partnership is completely free. "These optional educational materials, aligned with South Carolina’s K-12 standards, will provide a wide range of essential topics like civics and financial literacy," Superintendent Weaver said in a statement.
Earlier this year, the Department of Education removed the course code for the AP African American Studies class, citing "significant controversy" over the course. Several teaching groups and civil rights advocates spoke out against the decision.