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

California public schools are "saturated" with teachers who were taught critical race theory at University of California 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, unveiled its latest report, "Who Teaches The Teachers?", which focuses on teachers’ training programs in the University of California Schools of Education system. Often likened by critics to actual racism, CRT is a school of thought that focuses on how power structures and institutions impact racial minorities. 

"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," CriticalRace.org founder William Jacobson told Fox News Digital. 

WHAT IS CRITICAL RACE THEORY?

Jacobson, Clinical Professor of Law at Cornell Law School and founder of the Legal Insurrection website, founded CriticalRace.org’s database that has also examined elite K-12 private schools, 500 of America's top undergraduate programs, America’s top 100 medical schools and various military service academies. Advocates of the controversial CRT view the world through the lens of power relationships and societal structures rather than individuals, resulting in buzzwords such as "systemic racism" and "implicit bias" being foisted on students. 

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

"Ethnic studies, particularly so-called 'Liberated Ethnic Studies' which started in California and is moving to other states, is a Trojan Horse through which CRT and related ideologies are snuck into children's education," Jacobson said. 

"What started in California with ethnic studies as the vehicle for spreading radicalized and racialized ideologies is spreading to other states," Jacobson continued. "Our report is both a case study and a warning to other states about how the innocent sounding 'ethnic studies' programming has become not so innocent."

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

"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.

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

"Remote learning during Covid-19 pandemic school shutdowns exposed many parents to radical ideologies being taught to their children. Many lessons -- on issues like race, racism, gender identity, sexuality, politics, and history -- appeared to incorporate Critical Race Theory (CRT) concepts repackaged for children," Dr. Shufutinsky wrote. 

"In an effort to discover where these theories are coming from, the report below explores the ideological underpinnings of education programs at the University of California. It also looks at education ‘centers’ attached to the universities," Dr. Shufutinsky continued. "The 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 concerning," as its entire handbook is "riddled with critical theoretical concepts" without offering an opposing view. 

CRITICAL RACE THEORY TAUGHT TO FUTURE MILITARY LEADERS AT U.S. MILITARY ACADEMIES, ACCORDING TO STUDY

"Much of what is included in the handbook mimics the goals and principals of critical ethnic studies academic discipline," according to the report. 

The report also found that UCLA is "clearly influenced by radical theory," UC Riverside features CRT-informed social justice framework and programs, UC Santa Cruz has education programs that "prioritize activism" and UC San Diego "assumes society is systemically inequitable, holds up Cuba as a positive role-model, offers a theoretical framework for addressing antiracist pedagogy, and – at the higher levels – teaches graduate students to investigate equity issues and transform in equity" while fighting to dismantle "anti-blackness."

UC Irvine, on the other hand, was deemed "not entirely negative" because it offers students the option to avoid some of the ideology. 

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

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

CRITICAL RACE THEORY-RELATED IDEAS FOUND IN MANDATORY PROGRAMS AT 58 OF TOP 100 US MEDICAL SCHOOLS: REPORT

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

"Many parents and others are asking where this ideology is coming 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 in the University of California (UC) system," Dr. Shufutinsky wrote.

Citing universityofcalifornia.edu, the report indicates there are more than 28,000 UC-educated teachers in California public schools. Those teachers work in approximately 77 percent of the public schools throughout the state. 

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"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," Dr. Shufutinsky wrote. 

The report stated it especially focuses on "teacher preparation programs, as it appears that these programs offer more divisive ideological pedagogy than minor, major, and graduate programs alone. Specifically, UC Berkeley, UCLA, and UC Riverside have ‘centers,’ attached to the universities, that provide teacher preparation and continuing education programs. These centers are steeped in critical theory and social justice ideology that discourages viewpoint diversity and critical thinking. This is outlined in detail within this report."

CriticalRace.org added that "not all of the teachers' education programs reviewed within this report are blatantly centered on critical theory. However, in the majority of programs, an association can be drawn between critical theory ideology and the substance of teacher preparation and administrator programs."

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

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