FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                                                                                                                                                      Contact: Tom Zuppa  

Tuesday, Aug. 29, 2023                                                                                                                                                                             Phone: 617-993-0003

                                                                                                                                                                                                                     Email: tom@jgpr.net

​

​

NHSAA Issues Statement Regarding State's Proposed Partnership With PragerU

​

The New Hampshire School Administrators Association wishes to share the following statement:

“The New Hampshire School Administrators Association (NHSAA) would like to take the opportunity to comment on the pending State Board of Education agreement with PragerU. NHSAA is opposed to this agreement.

​

“The New Hampshire State Board of Education – through its Learn Everywhere program – is proposing a partnership with PragerU to provide an online Financial Literacy course that, according to PragerU, would meet the requirements of the new financial literacy competencies and therefore grant high school credit upon completion.

​

“The NHSAA has researched this course of study as well as PragerU itself, and we oppose this partnership. This decision is based on standards. Neither the course itself nor PragerU meets the expectations of a high-quality New Hampshire education.

​

“The Financial Literacy course on PragerU does not meet the rigor of New Hampshire curriculum. The course is a series of videos followed by one multiple choice quiz at the end. There are no quality assessments, application of knowledge or depth of curriculum. While these videos may be convenient, convenience over quality is not what our schools aspire to when choosing resources. NHSAA is glad to know that the State Board has agreed to review this resource again to see if it can truly meet the same level of scrutiny as what would be taught in school; we are confident they will find it does not align with expectations.

 

“PragerU is not an accredited educational, academic institution nor is it a university. The “U” is misleading, and PragerU is simply a non-profit offshoot of the larger Prager Corporation and their own website calls these videos “edutainment.” NHSAA believes that in order to maintain quality academic integrity for all students, regardless of where they learn, the State Board must adhere to the highest standards for learning in all its partnerships and agreements.

 

“NHSAA additionally opposes the agreement with PragerU based on its inability to meet ethical and legal standards set forth in New Hampshire law and policy.

 

“The State Board of Education has a responsibility to provide an education to all

students that is free from discrimination. The Educator Code of Ethics itself states that all educators are ‘expected to uphold and adhere to laws, regulations, policies, and procedures which are relevant to the education professional regardless of personal viewpoints.

 

“PragerU is a company that prides itself on producing videos with intentional bias that capture the attention of children, calling their videos 'edutainment.' Discriminatory bias is clearly seen in its videos pertaining to gender, race, nationality, religion, gender identity, and more. This is contrary to both state and federal non-discrimination laws as well as New Hampshire policies, and an association with this company certainly clashes with any intention to treat each student with dignity and respect.

 

“We understand that the State Board will argue that the Financial Literacy course is a standalone and does not directly lead to all the other, much more questionable and concerning videos on PragerU. Our opposition lies in the fact that this course is a gateway to PragerU, and we do not want that gate opened at all. NHSAA is an organization committed to being champions for children. Because of the inability to meet either the learning or legal standards we cherish in New Hampshire, we oppose the Financial Literacy course and any agreements with PragerU."

​

About NHSAA

The New Hampshire School Administrators Association is a non-profit, tax-exempt corporation dedicated to providing the best possible public education for the children of New Hampshire. Members include superintendents of schools, assistant superintendents, school business officials, special education directors, curriculum coordinators, and other system administrators. The mission of NHSAA is to be a credible and compelling voice of educational leadership in creating an exemplary and comprehensive education for all public-school students and in providing high quality

services to its membership.

​