A new report from the advocacy group Defending Education alleges that 55 K-12 school districts nationwide have spent more than $17 million on ethnic studies courses, professional development, curricula, textbooks and programming — a body of work critics say advances a narrow political agenda in classrooms.
The report, obtained by Fox News Digital, catalogues contracts, curricula and course descriptions it says demonstrate an emphasis on topics such as intersectionality, environmental racism, reparations and organized movements including the Black Panther Party and Black Lives Matter. Defending Education officials said the materials prioritize activism over analysis and push divisive interpretations of history and society.
"What is being introduced in schools under the banner of ethnic studies is less about broadening academic horizons and more about advancing a narrow ideological agenda," Nicole Neily, president and founder of Defending Education, said in a statement to Fox News Digital. "These programs often prioritize activism over analysis, presenting students with lessons framed around privilege, oppression, and resistance. The result is an environment that emphasizes division rather than common ground, and criticism rather than understanding. Parents have every right to advocate for a more balanced approach that equips students to comprehensively engage in society without politicizing classrooms."
The report names several curricular materials and providers. It cites Imagine Learning’s ethnic studies course for grades 9–12, which the vendor says is aligned with California’s state-mandated requirements and the California Department of Education’s model curriculum. Other materials noted include Gibbs Smith Education’s "Voices: An Ethnic Studies Survey," Newsela’s California Ethnic Studies Collection Guide produced by Community Responsive Education, and the University of California, Berkeley’s Puente Project curriculum for middle, high school and college levels.
Defending Education highlighted lesson descriptions and guide language it says focus on categories such as "colorism," "implicit bias," "white supremacy" and "patriarchy," and include instruction that questions national borders and citizenship while introducing students to contemporary movements and calls for reparations. The group said some district expenditures it documented included a $160,000 contract with consultant 5M Legacy for a "Black History Matters 2U History Course" in Lynwood Unified School District and an estimated $114,625 paid by Riverside Unified School District to send 14 educators on an ethnic-studies professional development trip.
Rhyen Staley, research director at Defending Education, called ethnic studies "a far-left political programming meant to turn the youngest children into social justice activists" and said parents and communities should demand replacement of such curricula with what the group describes as history that "uplifts."
Vendors and districts named in the report disputed the characterization. Imagine Learning told Fox News Digital that its 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. It does not advance political viewpoints."
Fox News Digital reported it had reached out for comment to Gibbs Smith Education, Newsela, the Puente Project, Lynwood Unified School District and Riverside Unified School District. The story did not include responses from those organizations at the time of publication.
The debate over ethnic studies in K-12 comes as congressional attention to school curricula has increased. 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 committee officials have said will also address concerns about what some lawmakers describe as anti-Americanism in classrooms.
Proponents of ethnic studies have argued for years that such courses broaden historical perspectives, center the experiences of historically marginalized groups, and improve student engagement and learning outcomes. Opponents contend certain materials cross from academic inquiry into advocacy and political messaging. The Defending Education report amplifies the latter view by detailing spending and curricular content it regards as evidence of politicization.
Lawmakers and local officials will face decisions about whether to revise adoption processes, oversight of professional development and vetting of curricular materials as the larger debate continues. The report from Defending Education adds to a growing record of public scrutiny of how race, gender and contemporary social movements are presented in K-12 settings and how taxpayer funds are used to support those materials.
The organizations named in the report and district officials may pursue further public statements or policy changes as the conversation evolves, and congressional hearings may press vendors and educators to explain curriculum content and procurement decisions.
This article is based on the report obtained by Fox News Digital and statements provided to that outlet by Defending Education and Imagine Learning. Further responses and documentation from other vendors and districts were solicited but not published with the report.