A new Monday report finds that California public schools are "saturated with critical theory ideology" and "divisive rhetoric" because future teachers are trained using a "critical theory" framework.
CriticalRace.org, a project of the nonprofit Legal Insurrection Foundation, recently released a report titled "UC Schools of Education Report: Who Teaches the Teachers?" by Dr. Brandy Shufutinsky, which examines the training programs used to teach future educators in the University of California Schools of Education system.
"The impact that UC educated teachers have in shaping the minds of future generations is substantial. Because of the impact UC trained teachers have on students, it is essential that the pedagogical frame(s) used in schools of education and teacher training programs are examined for politicization and biases," the report stated.
The study attempts to show how critical race theory made its way into the public education system by investigating the curricula used to train teachers.
CriticalRace.org founder William Jacobson told Fox News Digital, "CRT and related ideologies have spread like wildfire through higher education, professional schools, K-12, and even military academies. The question is how this happened. Part of the answer is that CRT is deeply embedded in teachers' colleges, with 'ethnic studies' being a primary vehicle. Teachers are taught to teach CRT through 'Ethnic Studies' courses."
The report uncovered that institutions that educate teachers, including colleges and preparation programs, utilize a teaching structure based on critical theory ideology.
Critical theory is defined in the report as a "critique of society that examines ways in which power is used to oppress marginalized groups. Critical theorists believe that the privileged (men, White people, capitalism, Christians, heterosexual people) hold power and must be countered through transformative practices in order to foment social change towards truer democracy."
According to Dr. Shufutinsky, the report provides a "glimpse into how divisive rhetoric is making its way from academia into K-12 classrooms."
Dr. Shufutinsky believes that future teachers are being taught to apply principles from ethnic studies programs to other subjects they teach, including social studies, language arts, and even math.
"Joint programs between University of California Ethnic Studies Departments and Schools of Education are training teachers to implement critical theory ideology into K-12 classrooms," Dr. Shufutinsky told Fox News Digital.
According to the detailed report, UC Berkeley Teacher Education Preparation was the "most concerning" because both its handbook and identity statement were "riddled with critical theoretical concepts" that left "no room" for dissenting perspectives.
The 32-page study also found that UCLA School of Education is "clearly influenced by radical theory," UC Riverside School of Education used "a critical theory-informed social justice framework," and UC San Diego School of Education "examines education through an equity lens" and "holds up Cuba as a positive role-model."
The report found that UC Irvine's Master of Arts in Teaching program was "not entirely negative" because it did "not appear to be based on critical theory" and allowed "students the option to avoid some of the ideology."f
Post a Comment