A new report obtained by Fox News Digital says 55 K-12 school districts have spent more than $17 million on ethnic studies courses, professional development, curricula, textbooks and programming, and critics contend some of that material advances a political agenda rather than neutral academic inquiry.
The report by Defending Education details examples of classroom materials and vendor curricula it says introduce concepts such as cisheteronormativity, colorism, implicit bias and intersectionality and promote movements including the Black Panther Party, Black Lives Matter, reparations and the “land back movement.” The organization argued the content prioritizes activism over analysis and urged parents to demand a “more balanced approach.”
The report cites specific products and curricula it says are in use in multiple states. It identifies an Imagine Learning ethnic studies course for grades 9–12 that the report characterizes as focusing on “deconstructing systems of power that perpetuate inequality.” Gibbs Smith Education’s "Voices: An Ethnic Studies Survey," the report says, is used in California and Pennsylvania and examines the experiences of Indigenous, Black, Latino, Pacific Islander and Asian Americans. Newsela’s California Ethnic Studies Collection Guide, created by Community Responsive Education and used in California districts, is described in the report as including vocabulary such as environmental racism, patriarchy and white supremacy and as encouraging students to question national borders and citizenship.
The report also highlights university-developed curriculum from the University of California, Berkeley’s The Puente Project, saying its courses for middle school, high school and college include instruction on racial justice, gender and sexuality, and environmental justice. Local examples cited include Lynwood Unified School District contracting with 5M Legacy for a “Black History Matters 2U History Course” and reported consultant payments of more than $160,000, and Riverside Unified School District spending an estimated $114,625 to send 14 educators on a cross-country ethnic studies professional development trip.
Defending Education President Nicole Neily said in a statement the programs are "less about broadening academic horizons and more about advancing a narrow ideological agenda," adding that the lessons emphasize "privilege, oppression, and resistance." Rhyen Staley, the group's research director, called ethnic studies "a far-left political programming meant to turn the youngest children into social justice activists," and asserted the curriculum advances critical race theory and "radical gender ideologies."
Imagine Learning responded to Fox News Digital, saying its ethnic studies course "supports state-mandated graduation requirements such as California’s AB 101" and that it is "aligned with the California Department of Education’s Model Curriculum" and is designed to promote "academic inquiry, civic engagement, and understanding of U.S. history and society." The company said the course "does not advance political viewpoints."
Fox News Digital reached out to Gibbs Smith Education, Newsela, The Puente Project, Lynwood Unified School District and Riverside Unified School District for comment, according to the report.
The debate over ethnic studies has drawn attention from lawmakers. The House Education and Workforce Committee's Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education scheduled a hearing titled "From Playground to Classroom: The Spread of Antisemitism in K-12 Schools," which is also expected to examine what members describe as anti-Americanism in school curricula. Committee members have in recent months raised questions about how ethnic studies are implemented and whether local programs adhere to state-model frameworks or introduce partisan content.
Supporters of ethnic studies argue the courses broaden students’ understanding of U.S. history and contemporary society by including perspectives historically excluded from standard curricula, and they point to state adoption of model curricula such as California’s as evidence of academic legitimacy. Critics, including the report’s authors, say some lessons and vendor materials cross from education into advocacy and call for greater transparency and parental involvement in curriculum decisions.
The report by Defending Education adds to a continuing national conversation about the scope and content of public school curricula, particularly as states and districts balance locally developed materials with state-required standards. The House subcommittee hearing will put some of those questions before lawmakers and public witnesses, and school districts and curriculum providers may face increased scrutiny as the issue moves into congressional oversight and local school board discussions.