Does PragerU deal put politics in SC classrooms? Democrats, Republicans split on next steps.

The last legislative session elicited many conversations, opinions and social media posts around what material should be in school classrooms. A recent decision by the South Carolina Department of Education, however, is leaving one lawmaker frustrated with the “deafening silence.” Some Republicans are talking, but not saying what the Democrat wanted to hear.

Outside the South Carolina State House on Friday, state Rep. Jermaine Johnson, D-Richland, urged Republicans to stand against the Prager University Foundation. The conservative K-12 site, commonly referred to as PragerU, is an unaccredited nonprofit that provides students with “supplemental” classroom materials that will be partnering with the South Carolina Department of Education. Opponents have called the program’s material “white washing,” and “racist.”

“I’m demanding those Republicans who claim to be my friend, those ones that stand in the back chamber with me, and laugh, and talk about my family and ask about me about how I’m doing. I’m demanding today they stop being silent, to stand up with us because right is right and wrong is wrong,” Johnson said.

The S.C. partnership allows “age-appropriate materials provided by the organization,” which includes at least 70 different videos, lesson plans, worksheets and books that “align with South Carolina’s K-12 school standards and provide a range of topics from civics to financial literacy,” state Superintendent Ellen Weaver said in a press release Monday.

Johnson and other Democrats however, cited multiple instances of videos that made him “sick.”

Johnson cited brought up a few examples of the videos on the site, including a video about Frederick Douglass saying that slavery was a “compromise” between the nation’s Founding Fathers and the Southern colonies to “achieve something great.” The animated Douglass answers questions of two modern-day children in the video, and says “I’m certainly not OK with slavery, but the founding fathers made a compromise to achieve something great, the making of the United States. It was America that began the conversation to end it.”

Johnson said the partnership must be immediately terminated.

“I do not approve of my tax dollars going to the white washing of history. We will not allow this, we will not stand for this,” Johnson said at the “Keep Politics out of Education” press conference, attended by teaches and others outraged by partnership.

The South Carolina Legislative Black Caucus sent out a press release Wednesday denouncing the platform, saying it “raises significant concerns about the educational content being delivered to South Carolina’s students.”

“The continued undermining of American history and academic courses has no place in the Palmetto State,” the press release said. “Our classrooms should remain free from political bias, serving as spaces where young people can receive an objective and comprehensive education.”

Justin Bamberg, D-Bamberg, expressed his concern for the program over social media platform X, where he featured one of the videos from the program.

“Schools can’t teach about real American history, like slavery or what happened to the true Native Americans because it’s a painful truth,” Bamberg wrote. “Got teachers scared to even teach true historical events out of fear of criminal charges, but THIS type of material is just fine? The state WANTS teachers and students to use this stuff in school? Goofies.”

“Now we have Candace Owens teaching history class,” Rutherford wrote to The State, referring to the conservative pundit.

Johnson didn’t name specific Republicans to speak up. There weren’t any House Republicans who posted on social media over the partnership decision.

State Rep. Brandon Guffey, R-York, wrote in a text message that “all education should simply be that ... education.”

“Teaching shouldn’t be political,” Guffey wrote. “I’m fine with a tool so long as it isn’t biased. Just because a conservative is teaching, doesn’t mean that is the message. The same can be said for a liberal teaching. This is just another tool in the tool belt of our educators.”

State Rep. Bobby Cox, R-Greenville, wrote via text that he was excited about the partnership.

“PragerU is known to promote American values through its content and I look forward to the academic discussions that will result from their videos in our classrooms,” he wrote.

Rep. Micah Caskey, R-Lexington, and Rep. Gil Gatch, R-Dorchester both did not have comments on the program when asked by The State, and Rep. Davey Hiott, R-Pickens wrote he had not been able to read much on the issue and also had no comment.

The State contacted other Republican House members who did not respond to requests for comment.

State Rep. Josiah Magnuson, R-Spartanburg, vice chair of the S.C. Freedom Caucus, said he helped Weaver’s office connect with PragerU.

“Everything I’ve seen from them has been factually solid, family-friendly, and politically balanced,” Magnuson wrote in a text. “Educational resources steeped in socialism, racism, and transgenderism shouldn’t be the only options for teachers to use.”

State Rep. Jordan Pace, R-Berkeley, chair of the Freedom Caucus, also supports the program and sees it as adding an alternative view.

“I hope the public notices that a partnership that provides voluntary educational materials at no cost to taxpayers has caused many on the left to have apopletic fits. Why? Because for the first time in recent memory, there will be a whiff of an alternative to the leftist worldview that has dominated government schools for decades,” Pace wrote in a text.

During the last few legislative sessions, many bills were introduced about classroom material and library books — and the rhetoric was heated — though many didn’t make it through the House or Senate.

Classroom materials and “woke” ideology indoctrinating students had been a concern among Republicans, especially the Freedom Caucus, have made very public through social media and viral videos.

“We do not want indoctrination,” Johnson said at the press conference.

Rep. Russell Ott, D-Calhoun, said he stands behind what Johnson said. It was clear why some Republicans are in favor of the program, because it shows just how political it is, Ott said.

“When you start having elected members of the general assembly that are self-described groups that clearly push these agendas, if they’re coming out and saying ‘this is great,’ that’s what’s concerning to me,” Ott said.

Ott echoed what Johnson said concerning his Republican colleagues

“I would love for there to be bipartisan folks that would come out and say this is not right,” Ott said. “I would love to see a lot of my colleagues push back on this just for the fact that it is pushing an agenda, not necessarily one that they might not like this time or one that we may not like this time. Again, our schools in South Carolina are not the place to be having ideological wars and pushing individual and personal agendas.”