California public schools ‘saturated’ with teachers who learned critical race theory when training: report

California’s public schools are “saturated” with teachers taught critical race theory in the University of California’s Schools of Education and teacher preparation programs, according to a new study released Monday.

CriticalRace.org, which monitors critical race theory (CRT) curricula and training in higher education, released its latest report, “Who Teaches the Teachers?”, which focuses on teacher training programs in the Schools system of Education University of California. Often compared by critics to actual racism, CRT is a school of thought that focuses on how power structures and institutions affect racial minorities.

“The CRT and its associated ideologies have spread like wildfire in higher education, vocational schools, K-12, and even military academies. The question is how this happened. Part of the answer is that the CRT is deeply embedded at teachers colleges, with ‘Ethnic Studies as a primary tool. Teachers are taught to teach CRT through ‘Ethnic Studies’ courses,” CriticalRace.org founder William Jacobson told Fox News Digital.

WHAT IS CRITICAL RACE THEORY?

California’s public schools are “saturated” with teachers who were taught critical race theory in the University of California’s Schools of Education and teacher preparation programs, according to a new study, “Who Teaches the Teachers?” (Jon Cherry/Getty Images)

Jacobson, clinical professor of law at Cornell Law School and founder of the website Legal Insurrection, founded the CriticalRace.org database that has also examined elite private K-12 schools, 500 of America’s top undergraduate programs , America’s top 100 medical schools and various military service academies. Proponents of the controversial CRT view the world through the lens of power relations and social structures rather than individuals, resulting in words such as “systemic racism” and “implicit bias” being thrown at students.

The detailed 32-page study explores everything prospective teachers learn if they attend the University of California Schools of Education at Berkeley, Irvine, UCLA, San Diego, or Santa Cruz. CriticalRace.org’s look at teacher training programs aims to help understand who exactly will teach the next generation of Americans and determine whether CRT is directly impacting teacher preparation.

“Ethnic studies, especially the so-called ‘Liberated Ethnic Studies,’ which began in California and is moving to other states, is a Trojan horse through which CRT and related ideologies are introduced into children’s education,” he said. Jacobson.

“What started in California with ethnic studies as a vehicle for spreading radicalized and racist ideologies is spreading to other states,” Jacobson continued. “Our report is both a case study and a warning to other states about how innocent ‘ethnic studies’ programming has become not so innocent.”

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The CriticalRace.org report was written and researched by Dr. Brandy Shufutinsky, who works with nonpartisan organizations fighting anti-Semitism and anti-Black bigotry. She believes the findings prove that future teachers are being trained to use Ethnic Studies principles to guide all the subjects they teach, which prioritizes the left’s social justice agenda and turns future teachers into activists.

“Joint programs between the University of California Departments of Ethnic Studies and the schools of education are training teachers to apply the ideology of critical theory in K-12 classrooms,” said Dr. Shufutinsky for Fox News Digital.

Dr. Shufutinsky said the report provides a “glimpse of how divisive rhetoric is making its way from the academy into K-12 classrooms” through teacher training and preparation programs.

“Distance learning during the Covid-19 pandemic school closures exposed many parents to radical ideologies being taught to their children. Many lessons — on issues such as race, racism, gender identity, sexuality, politics and history — appeared to include the theory critical race Concepts (CRT) repackaged for children,” Dr. Shufutinsky wrote.

“In an effort to discover where these theories come from, the report below explores the ideological underpinnings of the educational programs at the University of California. It also looks at the educational ‘centers’ attached to the universities,” continued Dr. Shufutinsky. “Report concludes that University of California Schools of Education and teacher preparation programs are saturated with Critical Theory ideology.”

The report concluded that UC Berkeley’s program is “the most troubling,” as its entire handbook is “filled with critical theoretical concepts” without offering a counterpoint.

UC San Diego’s School of Education contains many elements of critical race theory, according to CriticalRace.org. (UC, San Diego/Facebook)

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“Much of what is contained in the handbook mimics the goals and principles of the academic discipline of critical ethnic studies,” according to the report.

The report also found that UCLA is “clearly influenced by radical theory,” UC Riverside features social justice frameworks and programs informed by CRT, UC Santa Cruz has educational programs that “prioritize activism,” and UC San Diego “assumes that society is systemically unequal, says up Cuba as a positive role model, provides a theoretical framework for addressing anti-racist pedagogy, and—at the highest levels—teaches graduate students to investigate issues of equity and transform themselves into equity while struggling to dismantle “anti-blackness”.

UC Irvine, on the other hand, was deemed “not entirely negative” because it offers students the opportunity to avoid some of the ideologies.

The University of California did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier this year, the group found that 58 of the 100 most prestigious medical colleges and universities have some form of mandatory student training or coursework related to CRT.

Opponents of critical race theory protest outside Loudoun County School Board headquarters, in Ashburn, Virginia, June 22, 2021. (REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)

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CriticalRace.org previously found that at least 236 of the 500 colleges or universities surveyed have some form of mandatory student training or coursework on ideas related to CRT. Defenses of CRT-related materials have ranged from denying the teaching of CRT altogether, to claiming that the underlying ideas are the key to creating an inclusive educational environment.

“Many parents and others are wondering where this ideology comes from. This research scratches the surface of the question by examining what future and current teachers are being taught in schools of education, teacher preparation, and educator/administrator professional development programs at the University of California (UC) system,” Dr. Shufutinsky wrote.

Citing Universityofcalifornia.edu, the report indicates that there are more than 28,000 UC-educated teachers in California public schools. These teachers work in approximately 77 percent of public schools across the state.

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“The impact that UC-educated teachers have on shaping the minds of future generations is essential. Because of the impact that UC-educated teachers have on students, it is essential that the pedagogical framework(s) used in schools of education and teacher training programs to be examined for politicization and bias,” writes Dr. Shufutinsky.

The report noted that it focuses specifically on “teacher preparation programs, as these programs appear to offer more ideologically divisive pedagogies than just minor, major, and graduate programs. In particular, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC Riverside have university-affiliated ‘centers’ that offer teacher preparation and continuing education programs. These centers are steeped in critical theory and social justice ideology that discourages diversity of perspective and critical thinking. This is described in detail in this report.”

CriticalRace.org added that “not all of the teacher education programs reviewed within this report are overtly focused on critical theory. However, in most programs, a connection can be made between the ideology of critical theory and the substance of the preparation of teacher and administrator. programs.”

CriticalRace.org is a project of the Legal Insurrection Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to free speech on campus and academic freedom.

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Brian Flood is a media reporter for Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to [email protected] and on Twitter: @briansflood.