DISASTER CLASS

PragerU’s Right-Wing Lessons Haven’t Been Approved in Texas as Claimed: Report

The conservative nonprofit said it had been officially approved as “an educational vendor.”

Education officials in Texas say the controversial right-wing advocacy group PragerU has not been approved as a vendor despite the organization’s claims to the contrary. On Tuesday, PragerU announced that Texas had become the second state after Florida to “officially approve PragerU as an educational vendor,” but Texas’ State Board of Education members were apparently surprised by the claim as they haven’t voted on such a move. “The SBOE has not received any request from PragerU to be approved as an education vendor,” board chair Keven Ellis told The Dallas Morning News. Adding to the confusion was the fact that board member Julie Pickren featured in PragerU’s announcement video titled “PragerU Kids is Now in Texas!” PragerU CEO Marissa Streit also did not clarify the situation, insisting to the Morning News that “we have been approved and it is our great pleasure and honor to serve multiple states including Texas.” The group publishes videos that have been criticized as distorting history and pushing misleading narratives on issues including climate change, slavery, and Israel.