The Daily Signal - Pro-America Kids Content: An Interview With PragerU's Jill Simonian

Episode Date: January 24, 2022

When the COVID-19 pandemic closed schools to in-person learning in the spring of 2020, parents across America began to see firsthand what their kids were learning via Zoom meetings and other virtual platforms. One of those parents, Jill Simonian of California, didn't like what she saw. Simonian decided to speak out. She began posting on social media and raising awareness among other parents about what she calls "the radicalization in our schools." Her outspokenness eventually led to a job at Prager U, the educational organization founded by Dennis Prager. Last year, The Daily Signal interviewed Simonian about PragerU's Resources for Educators and Parents. Since then, she's helped launch PragerU Kids, which offers even more content for family and children—material many of them probably aren't seeing in school. "We do not want to radicalize our children. We don't want to indoctrinate our children. We don't want to do anything that's political. We merely want to present families and educators with resources that unite us as Americans, that provide the rightful telling of who we are as Americans," Simonian says. Read a lightly edited transcript at DailySignal.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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Commissions fees and expenses may apply. Read the funds or ETF's prospectus before investing. Funds and ETFs are not guaranteed. Their values change and past performance may not be repeated. This is the Daily Signal podcast for Monday, January 24th. I'm Virginia Allen. And I'm Rob Blewey. On today's show, I chat with Jill Simonian, director of outreach for Prager You Kids.

She returns to the show to tell us about this great resource for parents and kids. We also read your letters to the editor and share a good news story about a long-lost letter from a World War II veteran that finally arrived 76 years after it was mailed. But before we get to today's show, Virginia and I want to tell you about. about one of our favorite Daily Signal resources. If you are looking for an easy and entertaining way to keep up with the news you care about, then you need to subscribe to the Daily Signal's YouTube channel. The channel offers interviews with policy experts on the most critical issues and debates America is facing today, as well as short explainer videos that break down complex issues,

and documentaries that dive deep into the way's policy actually impacts people. Go ahead and subscribe to the Daily Signal YouTube channel today. You can search for the channel on your YouTube app or visit YouTube.com slash DailySignal. Now stay tuned for today's show coming up next. We are joined on the Daily Signal podcast today by Jill Simonian. She's the director of outreach for Prager You Kids. Jill, welcome. Hi, Rob. I'm excited to talk to you again.

Well, it's great to have you back on the Daily Signal podcast. You joined up my colleague Virginia Allen and I. Last year, as you were launching this new exciting initiative, you've grown so much in just the past year. Tell us about Prager You Kids, what it is, what your offerings are, and who some of the target audiences are that you're trying to reach. Okay, so Prager You Kids is perhaps one of the most special endeavow... I'm just going to speak personally. It's one of the most special endeavors that I've ever been a part of because it is kids content, videos, digital magazines, books for very young learners that really celebrate and teach our American.

American values for kindergartners through 12th grade. And it's all free content. It's on our website, prageru.com slash kids. You can find all of the kids programming there. But it's unique in that our schools are essentially teaching kids to hate America. And every single one of our videos wants to do the exact opposite. We want to celebrate America. And we want our kids to be proud, to love and celebrate America.

and of course learn our history in an unbiased way. Jill, if you could, this is quite personal for you. If you don't mind sharing the story with our audience, you yourself or a mom, you saw this firsthand with your own kids. What was it that led you to this particular role and the work that you're doing now? So it's interesting because I've been with Prager You for about one year, and I did not go out looking for this job to work with Prager You. kids or our membership program for parents and teachers. We call our membership program

prep, pre-degree resources for educators and parents. I did not go out looking to work specifically with them, but the job kind of really rather found me because of my, and I shouldn't laugh. I should be very, very proud and, you know, truthful about this. But the job found me because I started becoming very unexpectedly outspoken on social media about how so many things in our educational system are compromised inside the classroom. There are politicized curriculums and lessons and perspectives that unfortunately a lot of educators think is their responsibility to tell our kids about or teach our kids or, you know, as weighted as this word is, indoctrinate our kids and I started seeing things firsthand during the school shutdowns when my two kids were on

Zoom learning and I started seeing sort of a lack of providing lessons and one of my daughter's teachers wasn't saying the Pledge of Allegiance with the class and there wasn't a lesson about September 11th and what September 11th did to our country and how it essentially united America Americans very much after that tragedy. But I started noticing that things were really slanted. And it bothered me a lot as a parent. And it was very also confusing at the same time because I come from a family of educators. My sister's a public school teacher. My mom was a public school teacher. My grandma was a public school teacher. I've always had respect and appreciation for our public schools. And my kids at that time were in public school. And once I started addressing certain

problems that I saw arising, I realized that the radicalization in our schools goes very, very deep. And it was then that I started speaking up, particularly on social media, saying that certain things weren't right. And the team at Prager You found me and said, hey, we noticed that you feel this way about kids in education. How about you come work with us in this new endeavor, we're trying to launch prep and Prager You Kids. And so I just said yes. And we're sort of been the last year working and working and working very, very hard as a nonprofit to create short videos and resources that parents and teachers can use to help educate our kids in a very positive way that unites us. Well, and we are so glad that you ended up there and the work that

you are doing for having such a small team that you do. You produce an incredible amount of content. I want you to share with our listeners some of your favorite offerings that Prigger You Kids makes available to parents and educators for kids. Okay. So we have one, two, three, four, five, six, I'm counting on my fingers right now, eight, nine different content lines for kids kindergarten through 12th grade. We have our autos tales story time, which is a story time series. And all of this, of course, is free on our website. It's a story time series for kindergarten through second graders telling folk tales about our, that always offer a lesson about our American values, like hard work, integrity, equality under God, all of those things that our kids, frankly, aren't getting in schools

now. It's a story time series that also, I should mention, is called Otto's Tales. So if you follow Prager you, you know that Otto is Dennis Prager's bulldog that is beside him on all of his fireside chats that he does every week. And so our Otto is a costumed puppy, you know, a character that I interact with that plays tricks on me. We also have a series called craftery. Crafts plus history equals craftery where I do a DIY craft and also inject history lessons about that craft. Like, for instance, there's a craftery about our American flag and the history of our flag. and you learn fun facts about the history of our flag while I am painting an American flag on a bulletin board

and kids can do it or just watch and learn. We have an animated series called Leo and Layla. That's for third through fifth graders with a brother and sister team that travel back in time to meet figures in history like Adam Smith, Neil Armstrong. We have one coming up about Desi Arnaz, all people who love America and loved our American dream. We have a history series called TB8.

to be honest. That stands for to be honest history for the older kids, teaching about different times in history, the American Revolution, the French Revolution in a very fun, hip, snappy way that that sixth graders and up can really relate to. And then we also have our books in digital magazines. Our digital magazines are free, but our books are centered on teaching children the history of America through our holidays. And those books are called Otto's Tales. And they're for kindergarten through second graders. and they, you know, they tackle topics. Columbus Day, Thanksgiving, Christmas, our American flag, Mother's Day, Father's Day,

Martin Luther King Jr. Day, all of these things that used to be standardized, taught in schools that really are compromised now with a radical perspective. We just, we have offerings for every age group. So it's a lot of fun. And we release, you know, we release content, new content, one to two times a week. and it's a small team of about six of us. It really is amazing. And I can tell you you have a lot of fun putting it together.

You can really see that in the end product. Now, let me ask you this, because you yourself told your story, but so many other moms and dads were feeling that same frustration over the course of 2020 and 2021 when schools shut down. They saw firsthand what was actually being taught in the classroom. So I would expect that those are. prime consumers of the material you're creating. But have you also found that teachers, whether in public or private school or even homeschoolers,

are also turning to it as maybe a curriculum or information that they can share with our own kids? They are. And it's really comforting because our prep membership group essentially acts as the foundational support to keep our Prager You Kids shows free online. So the prep group, it's a $25 donation if you would like to. support our kids' shows and the continued production of our kids' shows so that we can do more and more different variety. But in that prep membership group, there are almost 20,000 members and about one-third of them are teachers, which is really, really great and encouraging to know.

because, you know, it's easy now for parents to say education is ruining our children and teachers are compromised and teachers are this, that there, please know, there are countless teachers with integrity who know that the things that are happening in schools with critical race theory and gender identity lessons and, you know, systemic racism and, you know, all these things that are being shoved down our children's throat, teaching them to hate America, there are teachers with integrity who know that it's wrong, who, know that it is not truthful and who want to really reset their classrooms or their schools to teach kids what they should all be learning, what all of our kids should be learning. So we have a split. When it comes to parents, we have a split of homeschool parents, parents who have their kids in public school and then also private school parents. And our resources and our shows and our magazines, they're really meant for parents to engage and interact with our children to supplement what's happening in schools to correct what's happening in schools. But it is encouraging because our teachers we're finding when they send us notes,

they'll buy one of our Autos Tales books, either, you know, through Amazon. You can find our books on Amazon, but they'll buy it and they'll read it in their kindergarten classroom. Or they'll use one of our digital magazines as a supplemental worksheet to go along with a history lesson that they're doing. You know, for instance, our very first digital magazine was Abigail Adams. And a teacher sent us a note saying, you know what? I was doing a lesson for fifth graders about the founding fathers.

And under the umbrella of academic freedom, I just thought it'd be interesting to give a little worksheet about Abigail Adams. Because when do you ever learn about Abigail Adams? And she was such a, you know, I mean, she was such a figure in history. Remember the ladies. You know, she told John, remember the ladies. to recognize women in history. And, you know, hearing stories that teachers are trying to really, really grasp and use

our materials as they're able in their classrooms. It's really, really great to know because it is making an impact in that way. And Jill, you are such a strong advocate of parents getting involved and taking an active role in their kids' own education. I know from my own experience, when they were more receptive to having parents come into the classroom, I would go in and I'd read the kids in my son's class a book. I usually would try to find something of history, of founding fathers, you know, something that I figured that they probably weren't learning otherwise in school. I've done that over Zoom when we were shut down.

So there are a variety of ways that parents can get involved. You've talked about the importance of sharing this information. And that's one of the things that's so impressed me all always about Prager You, even just the five-minute videos that Dennis Prager made so famous. How can parents, aside from making a financial donation, help make sure that your work continues to be seen by more and more parents across this country? We like to say, be brave. And then I don't, you know, I'm laughing

and I'm making light of it, but it is very serious, be brave. Because many times, and I speak from personal experience from a few years ago as a conservative, it is scary to share our perspective for fear of being judged, retaliated against, wrongfully labeled with strong words that can, you know, destroy reputations in careers that are wrongfully yielded at us.

It's very scary to be brave and to speak up and publicly speak at a school board meeting or even send the teacher an email saying, hey, why were you sharing this lesson on gender identity when this does not align with the state standards in our state. You know, it's like, it's very scary to express an opinion if you know that the majority of who you're addressing does not agree with you. But at Prager You kids especially, we're not aiming to be political.

We do not want to radicalize our children. We don't want to indoctrinate our children. We don't want to do anything that's, political, we merely want to present families and educators with resources that unite us as Americans that provide the rightful telling of who we are as Americans. So when we say be brave, speak up, even though it might feel scary to say, you know what, I'm going to read this Otto's Tales about the history of the Pledge of Allegiance in my kids' kindergarten class. Be brave. get the book, read the book.

There's nothing wrong with telling our children the history of the Pledge of Allegiance or the National Anthem and reading it in a story. There's nothing harmful about that. That's not radicalized. That's something every kindergartner should be able to learn and ask questions about. So be brave if a school board meeting is coming up and your child was just given a survey labeled as social emotional learning. and that survey happened to have questions about their gender identity. And if they identify as XYZ and how do they feel and what is their family home life like and asking, you know, your third grade child invasive questions that the parent was not aware was going to be on that survey.

Be brave and go to the school board and say, I as a parent and the primary educator of my children, why was this survey delivered to my child without my consent? We forget that, that we parents have rights. And so be brave, have courage. Do it with kindness, do it with joy. You know, the phrase joyful, joyful fighters, happy warriors, all of those phrases. We've heard those phrases a lot in our climate now.

But it is true, be brave through that positive. Because if we're not, it's not going to get any better. Well, and Jill, finally on that note, what gives you hope and optimism about the future? I'm hopeful that more and more people are waking up to what is actually happening in schools. Personally speaking, you know, I went to public schools. My whole life, like I said, my family, mother, sister, grandmother, all public school teachers. I've always had a deep regard and affection for public school teachers, and I myself have, as a parent now, of two elementary school kids, I was always under this assumption that what's going on in schools now is the same as what I experienced. And what I experienced was really great. And it was really, you know, a positive, non-radicalized experience, quite frankly.

But I'm hopeful that parents and teachers are waking up that there are very invasive and wrong narratives, divisive narratives, radicalized narratives that are meant to really devastate freedom and American exceptionalism. I'm hopeful that parents are waking up that these things are, in fact, in our schools, in real time through standardized curriculum, through, you know, DEI, diversity, equity, and inclusion programs that sound great on the inside, but when you look at the nitty-gritty, they're very divisive, they're very racist, they're not positive for our kids, they're very damaging. I'm hopeful that parents are waking up and becoming less and less afraid to stand up to lies and are becoming less afraid to vocalize what is and what is not okay in our schools. Yeah, for far too long, Jill, I think parents were just accepting of the fact that maybe their

own experiences in school were happening today when in fact the colleges of education have themselves been radicalized. And so the teachers who are coming into the classroom today are coming in with a completely different experience than from, say, a generation ago. So thank you for the work you're doing at Prager You Kids. Tell our audience again how they can find more information and the great content you're creating. Yes, find us, find us, find us. Everything is free at Prageru.com slash kids,

videos, digital magazines, a lot of great resources. If you want to become part of our PrEP membership group to be connected with fellow like-minded parents and teachers that are pro-America. Right now we have almost 20,000 prep members. that are connected for group discussion in our censorship-free private app for Prager You. They're talking about all sorts of issues having to, you know, how we can combat these things collectively and how we can really raise our children in a positive pro-America way.

Join us at Prageru.com slash kids and share, share, share our content. I like to say be loud and proud about having pride in America and loving this country and wanting to preserve the fundamentals that our country was founded upon for future generations, because if we don't do it, it's going to be gone, and that's tragic. That was Jill Simonian, Director of Outreach for Prager You Kids. Check it out. It's really a fantastic resource, whether you're a parent or a grandparent, make sure that your kids or grandkids are experiencing some of the content that they're creating.

That's a highly recommended endorsement from our friends at Prager You. Jill, thanks so much for being with us today. Thank you so much. Virginia Allen here, I want to tell you all about one of my favorite podcasts. Heritage Explains is a weekly podcast that breaks down all the policy issues we hear about in the news at a 101 level. Hosts Michelle Cordero and Tim Desher mix in news clips and music to tell a story, but also bring in heritage experts to help break down complex issues. Heritage Explains offers quick 10 to 50.

minute explainers that bring you up to speed in an entertaining way. You can find them on Apple podcast, Google Play, Spotify, or wherever you listen to your podcast. We even put the full episode on YouTube. Thanks for sending us your letters to the editor. Each Monday we feature our favorites on this show. Virginia, who's up first? In response to the Daily Signal article and documentary raised in segregated South, he's still proud to be an American. Wade Wadsworth of Lingle, Wyoming writes, Dear Day, signal. Thank you so much for sharing the Dr. William Allen interview. Dr. Allen is two years my senior, but he is an intellectual giant. His integrity and wise explanation of American history

with regard to the slavery issue gives me a better understanding and better way of communicating on the issue of slavery existing within a nation that is founded upon principles of personal freedom under God. And thank you, Virginia, for producing that. You have more to come in this series in the future weeks, so we look forward to seeing them. I know. I'm excited that the first one is out. This is a five-part documentary series really diving into this issue, you know, for conservatives who are African-American. You know, how have you wrestled through personally America's past of slavery and come to say, no, I'm proud to be an American. So really, really inspired by these individuals and excited to share their stories here at The Daily Signal.

We absolutely are. Our next letter comes from Anne Bathrow. rushes, who writes to us about Mary Claire Amselaum's recent commentary, Virginia parents standing up to Loudoun County School Board should inspire parents everywhere. Anne writes, when a parent brings their child to school, they should have every confidence that their child is in good hands in every way. Their child is in the care of a teacher who has made teaching their life's work. They have invested a great deal in their profession. This goes without saying. Teachers, of course, benefit much from strong parental support, support in helping to guide their child with what his or her teacher has worked hard in planning, often with much collaboration with colleagues.

This support is more meaningful to teachers than perhaps parents realize. I know how much it meant to me. I know how much it bolstered me. In my 33 years of teaching, 95% of the parents I encountered were wonderfully supportive. Your letter could be featured on next week's show. So send us an email at Letters at DailySignal.com. Are you looking for quick conservative policy solutions to current issues? Sign up for Heritage's weekly newsletter, The Agenda.

In the agenda, you will learn what issues Heritage Scholars on Capitol Hill are working on, what position conservatives are taking, and links to our in-depth research. The agenda also provides information on important events happening here at Heritage that you can watch online, as well as media interviews from our experts. Sign up for the agenda on heritage.org today. Virginia, you have a good news story to share with us today. Over to you. Thank you so much, Rob.

You know, we have probably all experienced a piece of mail being delayed or getting lost. But not many of us have received a letter 70-plus years after it was sent. On December 6, 1945, Army Sergeant John Gonzalez penned a note to his mother while he was stationed in Germany after World War II. Gonzalez was just 22 when he wrote the letter and told his mom that he was. he was doing fine and getting along okay, but as far as the food, it's pretty lousy most of the time. The letter was intended to go to his mother and family in Woburn, Massachusetts, but got lost along the way. But recently, it was discovered at a U.S. Postal Service distribution facility in Pittsburgh. The Postal Service learned that John Gonzalez had passed away in 2015, but were determined to find a living relative to deliver the piece of mail to.

The Postal Service tracked down Gonsalva's widow, Angelina. She is 89 years old and told CBS Boston she couldn't believe it when she received the piece of mail. I love it. I love it. When I think that it's all his words, I can't believe it. It's wonderful. And I feel like I have him here with me, you know. Angelina and her husband, John, were married for 61 years before he passed away six years. ago. She says that receiving the letter her husband wrote so many years ago is a sweet reminder

of the love they shared and the life they had together. We were good together. Yeah, I had a good life. I really did. It was wonderful. Angelina and her husband had five sons together, and no doubt that letter will be cherished by the whole Gonzávez family for years to come. And of course, That letter is also a reminder to all of us of the sacrifice our men and women in uniform have made for decades and continue to make to this day. It sure is, Virginia. Thanks for sharing that story. We all get frustrated when our mail gets lost. But imagine the reaction of his widow when that arrived.

Wow. 76 years. Long time to wait. Well, well worth it. Well, worth it. Well, we're going to leave it there for today's show. You can find the Daily Signal podcast on the Rikishay Audio Network. All of our shows are available at daily signal.com slash podcasts.

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