Lauren C. Moye, FISM News
House Republicans have launched an investigation into the usage of pandemic relief funds to pay for “racially biased and other progressive leftist programs.”
On Wednesday, 30 GOP members of the House Oversight and Reform and Education and Labor Republicans committees wrote to Education Secretary Miquel Cardona about their investigation into the use of taxpayer dollars to “indoctrinate children in core tenets of leftist ideology.”
The Sept. 14 letter details how $189.5 billion in aid was designated for schools to address the impact of COVID on school safety and education standards. These funds were provided through the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES), Coronavirus Response and Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021 (CRRSA), and the American Rescue Plan (ARP).
“The learning loss caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has been a global disaster,” wrote the Republicans, noting an average 14.3 percent overall decline in math skills to put things in perspective. However, this average presented a wide range of declining rates with “10.1 percent smaller” declines for districts that did more in-person learning.
“Overwhelmingly, school shutdowns occurred in states and localities led by Democrats who chose to keep schools closed much longer than was necessary, often at the behest of teachers unions,” the committees noted, adding that the education gap was greatest between wealthy and low-income students.
However, rather than using funds to help fill in these gaps, some states used their COVID-relief for “environmental literacy,” “ethnic studies,” “LGBTQ+ cultural competency,” emphasizing “equity and diversity.” Funds also went to staff development for “culturally responsive sustaining instruction” and “privilege.” In New York, some funds went to recognizing “equity warriors.”
In all, thirteen states proposed implementing Critical Race Theory curriculum and programs with COVID relief. The amount of funding that went towards these progressive left ideologies has not yet been discovered.
For that reason, the Republicans are requesting documents and communications for California, New York, Illinois, Michigan, New Jersey, and other states related to the use of funds to facilitate training or teaching on CRT, diversity, equity, and inclusion by Sept. 28.