PragerU Gains a Foothold in New Hampshire Public Schools
Yesterday, the New Hampshire Board of Education approved a PragerU personal finance course for use in public schools, allowing students to engage in the program for credit. The board’s unanimous decision came despite concern with ideological bias; PragerU describes itself as a “conservative nonprofit…focused on changing minds through the creative use of digital media.” Founded by right-wing talk show host Dennis Prager in 2009, PragerU was eventually supercharged by a multi-million dollar donation from Dan and Farris Wilks, a pair of Texas brothers who became billionaires after selling their fracking company. Using that funding, PragerU ramped up production of “explainer” videos that promote fringe conservative ideas, ranging from climate denial to outright justifications for slavery in the United States. Now, New Hampshire has joined Florida and Oklahoma in bringing PragerU material to classrooms ­– and Texas may soon follow suit.
 
Though New Hampshire students will access the personal finance course through a separate website, families are still concerned that PragerU is attempting to get its foot in the door and direct traffic to its more controversial videos. This appears to be part of a broader strategy to get PragerU materials into classrooms; a recent job listing reveals that the non-profit is looking for a “Head of Educational Outreach” who will lead its sales team and bring PragerU Kids “to as many states, school districts, and school networks (private and charter) as possible.” The individual is expected to develop a “deep understanding” of state approval processes, and to identify “pain points” from educators who are unhappy with existing materials. While PragerU’s materials are generally free, it has registered itself as a vendor in Texas, meaning it could receive bidding opportunities from state entities. This development, combined with the heavy sales language in the job listing, implies that PragerU is preparing to bolster its expansion into schools with an influx of taxpayer dollars.