The Daily Signal - PragerU Provides Antidote to Left’s Poisonous Education Agenda

Episode Date: May 3, 2021

If you’re a conservative parent, you likely know that our schools are littered with leftist propaganda meant to penetrate the minds of our impressionable kids. While it’s sometimes done subconsciously by unsuspecting teachers, too often it’s part of the left’s agenda to turn students against traditional American values. We’re seeing the consequences throughout our culture today. Fortunately, those who believe in unbiased education and critical thinking have a place to turn for help. PragerU’s Resources for Educators and Parents, also known as PREP, is offering more than 10,000 subscribers an opportunity to counter the leftist agenda permeating our schools. Jill Simonian, director of outreach at PREP, recently spoke with The Daily Signal’s Virginia Allen about PragerU’s newest initiative. She joins me on today’s show to provide an update about the work she's doing and how you can join the effort. “If we do not teach our children how to think critically, so much of what America has been built on and the values of this country, they’re all going to disappear,” Simonian said. “And we're all going to look around and say, 'Well, what happened? What happened?'” Enjoy the show! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This is the Daily Signal podcast for Monday, May 3rd. I'm Robert Blewey. And I'm Virginia Allen. On today's show, Rob talks with Jill Simonian, Director of Outreach for Prager You Resources for Educators and Parents, also known as PrEP. It has everything you need to counter the laps takeover of America's education system. We also read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about a police department that went out of their way to bring joy to a little boy after his favorite. favorite toy was stolen. Before we get to today's show, Rob and I want to tell you about our favorite way to get the news every morning. It's called the morning bell. In each weekday, the Daily Signal

delivers the top news and commentary directly to your inbox for free. You will be able to read about the policy debates shaping the agenda, analysis from Heritage Foundation experts, and commentary from leading conservatives like Ben Shapiro, Dennis Prager, and Cal Thomas. It's easy to sign up. Just visit DailySignal.com and click on the connect button in the top right corner of the page. We'll start sending you the morning bell tomorrow. Now stay tuned for today's show coming up next. We are joined on the Daily Signal podcast today by Jill Simonian, Director of Outreach for Prager You resources for educators and parents, also known as PrEP.

Jill, we are big fans of Prager You here at The Daily Signal. It is great to have you on the show today. Thank you so much. Well, I'm a big fan of yours too. Well, let's start with some of the basics. What is PrEP and why did Prager You create it? So PrEP stands for, it's a lot easier to say than the entire name of it, but PrEP stands for Prager You resources for educators and parents.

That's why we call it PrEP. But what it is is videos specifically made for kids, ages kindergarten through 12th grade, that celebrate our American values of hard work, individual responsibility, equality under God, all of those values that unite us all, no matter where we come from as Americans. And it's been many years in the making where people have been asking, Prager, you, when are you going to start making videos for children? Because as you know, our five-minute videos for young adults, particularly, are very popular. asking, when are you going to do videos for kids? And we really thought that the time was now,

and the time was right, specifically because of all of the politicized, divisive narratives that we are now being seen injected into our schools, public and private schools, critical race theory, 1619 project, gender identity directive, social emotional learning. We're seeing all these things injected into our school curriculums. And so we thought, why not form a group for parents and educators who really do believe in unbiased education and pro-America values that we can celebrate with our kids? So that's what our videos are made for. That's just fantastic, Jill. Thank you for taking the time to explain that. And also for putting a focus both on the educational component, but also making sure that they're entertaining as well. I think that

as we know with kids, that is an important factor. As you mentioned, you have materials for grades K through 12. Can you share some examples of the types of shows and resources that you're offering? Yes. Well, full disclosure, my own daughters have served as inspiration for some of the things that I'm creating here, or the whole team, rather. I shouldn't say myself, there is an entire team behind prep, and it really is growing and it's fantastic. But what we are creating are, I'll start with the small ones. For grades kindergarten through second, we have a story time called Otto's Tales and anyone who is a fan of Dennis Prager knows about his dog Otto, who is famous for sleeping next to Dennis on the fireside chats. When Dennis gives his fireside chats,

there's Otto, our favorite bulldog. Well, we have Otto in our story time, but he is a costumed character Otto. And I read stories, very kid-friendly stories, picture books about responsibility, hard work. These are wonderful stories that we have created at Prager You based on folk tales, as well as we've used different stories by various authors who love to celebrate American values like Callista Gingrich and Rachel Campos Duffy, some of their children's books. So we have a story time where I read stories alongside Otto. It's called Otto's Tales. And we also have another series called Craftery, which my nine-year-old actually gave me the idea for. It's DIY crafts mixed with a little bit of history. And you can find all of these shows, by the way, on

Prageru.com slash kids' shows. And if you go to prageru.com slash prep, P-R-E-P, you can find out more about the program. But the craft show is family-friendly DIYs, making a military appreciation wreath, painting a bulletin board to look like an American flag while you get a truncated history of our American flag and the different incarnations of it. We also have an animated series in the works called Leo and Layla, where they travel through time to meet historical figures. We have digital magazines for third through fifth graders highlighting often overlooked historical heroes like Abigail Adams and Ayn Rand and Margaret Thatcher and Amy Coney-Barritt. We have a how-to video series for our middle school and high schoolers that build character through humor,

how to fold an American flag, how to have a real conversation with people. It's really fun stuff. And we've got even more shows in the works. And we've sort of created all of this in the last two months. So it's really been a lot of fun. And it's exciting. And you've had quite a response signing up, right? Thousands of parents and educators who've already signed up to to use these resources. How many are you up to? And how can parents take the step and become a member and start receiving this content? So as of last week, we hit the 10,000 member mark. And we all were thrilled and elated, as you can imagine. We hit the 10,000 member mark in just a few short months and with a prep membership, so to speak. Anyone who donates to Prager, you, 25,000,

$25 a year can become a prep member. And what the prep membership also entails is a private discussion forum via Facebook right now where parents and educators can communicate issues happening in their own corners of the country about different biased curriculums that might be happening at their school, how to address different issues at schools with administrators and between parents and teachers. So members gain access to that forum. Members also gain access to virtual live events where we have interviews with thought leaders or family-friendly activities. We have a book reading coming up at the end of May in honor of Memorial Day for members that you can join and have a Q&A with the author of the Children's Book, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, 21 Steps.

And you can find out more if you go to prageru.com slash prep. Jill, it's fantastic. I'm proud to be one of those more than 10,000 members. Thank you for what you are offering. It's really, in many ways, exactly what parents need. And I think educators as well. You talk on PrEP about the importance of teaching kids to love American values, to be freethinkers, to take ownership of their own ideas and actions. One of the most important courses that I ever took was actually called Critical Thirteen. thinking and the things that I learned in that course stuck with me to this day. Why is that so important for students and parents to really emphasize that with their kids? Well, I'm glad you talked about that because critical thinking has been a very personal theme for my family this last year. It's always been a theme at Prager You. It's always been something that Prager You and free thinkers everywhere, for that matter, across the country, no matter who you are. It's always been something that we valued.

But we have seen in this last year a lacking of critical thinking with adults, with students, with children. And that really is one of the most important skills that our children can learn. Anyone who listens to Dennis Prager, Dennis often talks about how courage is one of the most important qualities that we can teach our children and develop. up as parents too. And critical thinking, in my opinion, is the next most important skill, because we're living in a world that is almost devoted to believing lies. And it's really scary on many levels. And I know I'm preaching to the choir here in that you feel the same way, but it is very scary. And at the risk of sounding like an alarmist, If we do not teach our children how to think critically, so much of what America has been built on

and the values of this country, they're all going to disappear and we're all going to look around and say, well, what happened? What happened? And it's going to be very sad. So it's very important to teach kids how to think critically, how to think. I couldn't agree with you more. That is absolutely correct. You know, as a parent myself, I have three kids, two of whom are in elementary school, I've seen the leftist propaganda that permeates so much of what they do. One recent example in my son's sixth grade class, they were working on a poetry lesson, and they were given an article about Greta Toonberg and this mass extinction that she speaks of. And, you know, really, if it weren't for my son coming to me asking for some help with this lesson,

you know, I wouldn't have had that opportunity to talk to him about that issue. and that, no, you didn't have to worry about going extinct here in your lifetime. You know, that's an exaggeration on her part. But this was just subtly, you know, as the basis for a poetry lesson. So, I mean, it happens in all different ways. How did the left come to dominate education this way? Great question again. And full disclosure, I am just starting to learn more and more about how we got here.

You know, it's interesting. We're working on a mini-doc right now, a mini-documentary about the indoctrination within our education system. And last week, I interviewed a writer, investigative journalist and writer Christopher Rufo. And I'm assuming your audience, most of your audience knows who he is. He's the one that has broken, wide open, all of these stories about how critical race theory has permeated into our education system. And I asked him, I said, how did we get here? And what he said was this has been in the making for decades. And it started with the, I'm just going to say the word indoctrination again.

It started with the leftist indoctrination happening at the college level, which educated the students who then became educators. And the educators then started implementing what they learned from their educational quote unquote insubstern. institutions, right? They started implementing these, these lies and these very radicalized ideas and ideologies into the education system. And it's been decades in the making. And this is one of the things also that in that's frequently discussed at length and debated in our prep membership forum on Facebook. The constant question is, how did we get here? And how do we get out of it? And the answer that continues to arise for how we get out of it is to continue to have courage and to not back down because we are in emergency mode. If we do not

face this head on and face the potential casualties and cancellations and face the fear of being ostracized, you know, for lack of a better word, in our own schools and communities, if we don't face this head on as parents, it will be lost forever. That's right, Jill. And I think one of the things that is so important is for those educators out there who don't necessarily believe those leftist lies to take advantage of what you're offering. I imagine there's some listening to this podcast. And so I thought it was so important that you're not just marketing this to parents,

but you're also marketing it to teachers as a resource for them to use as well. Absolutely. And that's one thing that we always want to be clear about. We love our teachers who are true teachers of truth. We know that they're out there. And in the prep group more and more, we are seeing teachers join saying, I do not like what I've seen happen the last several years at my school in my district. I don't like it.

I am feeling alone. I don't know where to go. And many teachers are constantly on the defense because, of course, they're lumped into this. Oh, they're a teacher. They're a part of that leftist education system. But we know there are good teachers. They are in our group. They are discussing solutions. A lot of them are beginning to speak up. And us parents and teachers together who do feel so passionate about protecting our pro-American values. It is up to us, and it's up to us parents to give the teacher's strength as well. If you, you know, that the, I'm thinking of the, his name is escaping my mind right now, but I just read one of the articles about the, Paul Rossi in New York, the teacher, Paul Rossi, who taught at a very prestigious, I believe it was religious school,

in New York wrote a letter saying, I refuse to allow my students to be indoctrinated and more and more teachers are standing up and it takes bravery and guts, but we're doing it. You're starting to see a lot more of that, parents speaking out, teachers speaking out, and thank you for giving them materials that they can turn to in a positive way. I wanted to ask you next about parents. I feel personally so fortunate to have gone to school at a time before this became such a problem in our schools. But I suspect that means that some parents might assume that things are no different today than they were when they went to school. So you've developed a parent action guide. How can parents take action and learn about what their kids are being taught today? Well, it's tough, but like I said,

everything now takes courage. And I'm not going to pretend that it's not exhausting or depleting. I mean, it is, it is really, it's tough. I mean, it's tough for a parent to stand up, but for those of us who work, it is, you know, this is like a full-time job for some parents. But the parent action guide is something that we are very proud of that we do offer on our prep web page at pregeru.com slash prep. You can find it in the resources area. And it's a very basic guide just to get you started. For the parents who don't quite know how to start, we detail how the first step is often mustering the courage to send an email to your students, teacher and or principal questioning a specific assignment. Open a conversation.

We provide a few minor talking points, obviously leaving room for every parent to create their custom. request when they do email, if they do email a teacher or a parent. But it outlines baby steps to start with, to open the communication, to make it clear that as a parent, I do not consent to this social emotional learning survey that you are offering my child. I do not consent to this sex education curriculum that is brand new, unvetted that does not align with my values or belief system. And it starts with an email. It progresses with requesting an in-person meeting. And it's something, the parent action guide is something that we're proud of just to get parents started, to give them a nudge and a push and to say, okay, this is how I can begin this conversation

because it can be intimidating. It certainly can, and it does take a lot of courage. I know that from experience, and I can't say enough to the parents listening out there, the importance of taking the time to talk to your kids, to pay attention to the work they're bringing home, to be focused on the things that they are discussing in school. And when the school provides those opportunities to definitely take part and engage, parent engagement is so critical to make sure that we are sending this next generation out into the world prepared with the critical thinking skills, but also so that they don't have a leftist propaganda and a worldview that has been dominated throughout their years learning in school. Jill, one final.

Absolutely right. Oh, I was going to say you're absolutely right. And if I can just add one thing, too, it's easy to say as a parent, oh, I've had it with this. goes against everything I believe in and to check out. But the most important thing, one of the most important things we can also do is to take the initiative to join the PTA, to join the parent group, to run for school board, to get involved at the administrative level. Because if we are involved, that gives us credibility, authority, and license to really make change from the inside out. Jill, you are just doing great work at Prager, you, the whole team there is. We're proud to carry

Dennis Prager's column at the Daily Signal each week. A total of 4.8 billion views on Prager U videos since it launched in 2011. What's the magic formula? What is the secret that brings so many people to consume this great content that you're creating? Rational common sense. Makes sense. Everything we do is rooted in rational common sense and facts. It makes sense, Jill.

Thank you so much for everything. Tell us the website again where people can learn more and sign up for PrEP. Sure. You can find us at pregeru.com slash prep, P-R-E-P. And we'd love to have you. Join us. We're not alone. I hope our audience will check it out.

As I said, I'm a member. And it is great material. And if you're a parent, make sure you take advantage of it. Jill, thank you so much for being with us on the Daily Signal podcast. We appreciate it. Thank you so much. Conservative women, conservative feminists. It's true.

We do exist. I'm Virginia Allen, and every Thursday morning on problematic women, Lauren Evans and I sort through the news to bring you stories and interviews that are a particular interest to conservative leaning or problematic women. That is women whose views and opinions are often excluded or mocked by those on the so-called feminist left. We talk about everything from pop culture to policy and politics. Search for problematic women wherever you get your podcast. Thanks for sending us your letters to the editor.

Each Monday, we feature our favorites on this show. Virginia, who's up first? Michael S. writes, Dear Daily Signal, please keep up the great work you do. Your reporting is fact-based and balanced, unlike most of the rest of the media outlets. The story, Lieutenant Governor Mark Robinson, explains why. it's not racist to require ID for voting is so important. Please keep highlighting the stories on voter integrity. Thank you. And in response to Anna Agresti's piece, I'm a recent high school grad, here's how I fought leftism in the classroom. We received this note from Elijah Butcher of South Carolina. This is a fantastic and quite relevant article.

As a high school student, I encounter leftist ideas daily and conservative ideas very rarely. In my English class, we have written several response essays to articles that my professor provides. Thankfully, my teacher, who is progressive, allows for any view in the response essays. However, all of the articles have been one-sided. One called for abolishing the electoral college and another talked about the black wealth gap, but only complained about the problem rather than giving a convincing argument or a solution. Advocating for my beliefs is very important to me, and the advice in Ms. Agresti's article is relevant and helpful for conservative students like me across the nation.

Your letter can be featured on next week's show, so send us an email at Letters at DailySignal.com. What the heck is trickle-down economics? Does the military really need a space force? What is the meaning of American exceptionalism? I'm Michelle Cordero. I'm Tim Desher, and every week on the Heritage Explains podcast, we break down a hot-button policy issue in the news

at a 101 level. Through an entertaining mix of personal stories, media clips, music, and interviews, we help you actually understand the issues. So do this. Subscribe to Heritage Explains on iTunes, Google Play, or wherever you get your podcast today. Virginia, you have a good news story to share with us today. Over to you. Thanks so much, Rob.

Many of us likely have a memory of a favorite toy from childhood, something that could keep us entertained for hours. For four-year-old Gerald, that toy is a child-sized battery-operated John Deere tractor, also known as a gator. Gerald lives in Tempe, Arizona, and he and his father found the little tractor by a trash can a while ago. The little green vehicle was broken, but Gerald and his dad spent months fixing it up. Together, Peter Philbrook and his son, Gerald, got the little tractor working again. It was their project, and a source of father. son pride. But a couple weeks ago, the little battery operated tractor was stolen. Philbert posted on Facebook explaining that his son's favorite toy had been stolen and he asked his community for help to find it.

He wrote in the post, I will sell whatever I can to come up with a reward if this is returned. It's not worth much in dollars, but the time spent with my son making this work is priceless. It was a project that me and my son spent months trying to get to work. Local patrol sergeant Andrew Brooks saw Phil Brooks post on Facebook and did all he could to find the stolen toy vehicle, but to no avail. But the sergeant knew he had to do something to help. Since Sergeant Philbrook could not find the boy's original toy, he and the other officers from the Tempe Police Department

decided they would surprise four-year-old Gerald with a brand-new gator tractor. So in April, Sergeant Brooks and some of the other officers visited Gerald's home to give him his brand new toy tractor. Take a listen to the moment Sergeant Brooks gave Gerald his new gator per ABC 15 Arizona. That looks totally cooler than my actual episode. Right on. Well, I saw the story on Facebook, and I decided that I'm a cry, baby. It's okay. We're all in a bad.

We're here, too. I decided that you deserve one. Sergeant Brooks said he was so happy to be part of this simple act of kindness to brighten one little boy's day per Fox 10, Arizona. We deal with so many negative things in the world, and there's so much negativity going on. Just to be able to just bring some joy is awesome. It's a good feeling. Such a beautiful and simple act of kindness and so sweet. us to hear how moved Sergeant Brooks was as he gave four-year-old Gerald that gift. Truly a special,

special moment for everyone involved. Well, Virginia has a father and who has three kids, I can tell you those moments are truly special. It's great to hear that story today. Thanks so much for bringing it to us. Absolutely. Well, we're going to leave it there for today. You can find the Daily Signal podcast on the Rikishay Audio Network. All of our shows are available at daily signal.com slash podcasts. can also subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Play, or your favorite podcast app. And be sure to listen every weekday by adding The Daily Signal podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing. If you like what you hear, please leave us a review and a five-star rating. It means a lot to us, and it helps us spread the word to other listeners. Be sure to follow us on Twitter at DailySignal

and Facebook.com slash the Daily Signal News. Have a great week. The Daily Signal podcast is brought to you by more than half a million. members of the Heritage Foundation. It is executive produced by Rob Blewey and Virginia Allen. Sound designed by Lauren Evans, Mark Geinie, and John Pop. For more information, visit DailySignal.com.