Progressive activist group in California pays students $1,400 each to become racial justice and social justice warriors, reports say, and school district uses to fund ‘propaganda’ programs He is said to have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars.
The Long Beach Unified School District has entered into a one-year agreement with Californians for Justice (CFJ), a “youth-led” nonprofit organization that educates and organizes on racial justice issues, according to a copy of the agreement. They poured in nearly $900,000. Obtained by Free Press.
The lucrative contract, which runs through June 2024, includes $60,200 for 33 students and 10 family members or guardians, who will each receive $1,400 to attend CFJ’s training program. It will be done.
The agreement states that it aims to “provide support to teachers, administrators, and selected students in developing strategies to support cultural understanding and change.”
on the websiteCFJ boasts that it has “trained hundreds of young people of color in Long Beach to be community leaders and organizers.”
The organization “offers leadership development opportunities throughout the school year and summer to ensure youth leaders gain the political education and valuable organizing skills they need to lead social justice movements.” are doing.
“It’s a lot of fun! It pays well and we have a great time,” said one student. Grew up in a recent video on CFJ Instagram.
A spokesperson for the Long Beach School District (with 65,500 students, the fourth largest in the state) told the Free Press that the student’s scholarship is an “internship.”
They added that this is to ensure “acceptance of diverse perspectives in education and fair participation in CFJ programs.”
But four teachers in the Long Beach area told the Free Press they have serious concerns about CFJ’s activities.
One educator denounced the fee payment as a “terrible propaganda tactic”.
Another teacher said of the scholarships for students and families: “I am shocked and appalled by this revelation.”
This year is not the first time the Long Beach area has partnered with CFJ. Since December 2019, the district has paid the organization nearly $2 million in grants, according to the Free Press.
Citing past agreements, the newspaper reported that in 2021, CFJ conducted three professional development sessions at Long Beach high schools.
During these sessions, participants are encouraged to embrace the role of “student voice” and work with teachers and administrators to “advance a district-wide equity agenda,” the 2021-2022 contract states. It is written that it was done.
According to the latest agreement, CFJ is contracted to host 15 more such trainings during the 2023-24 school year.
One teacher, who did not want to be named, told the Free Press that she thought the workshops were simply a public forum for students to complain about the school.
“[One student said] If we build relationships with them, they will come to class on time,” she recalled.
“It’s helpful to hear their voices and see what they think will help them learn better, and I think that can be done with focus groups,” she added.
The educator also expressed concern that activist groups were simply giving students a “script.”
“The way the scripts are given to the students, even the words that come out of their mouths feel like mere indoctrination rather than information,” she told the outlet.
“One of the reasons is that [CFJ] High school history teacher Jay Goldfischer agreed.
“They are teaching parroting, which is the exact opposite of how to empower children,” he argued.
CFJ said in a statement to the Free Press: “Our challenge is not hidden, it is simple: We want Long Beach Unified School District to be a place where all students are honestly represented and safe in our classrooms and curriculum.” Difference. engage in important dialogue that supports democratic participation beyond the ”
Long Beach Unified School District and CFJ did not immediately respond to The Post’s requests for comment.
Meanwhile, Goldfischer, who is Jewish, also took issue with the organization’s approach to the Israel-Hamas war.
On October 23, just weeks after a terrorist group killed 1,200 people in southern Israel, CFJ posted on Instagram expressing support for the Palestinian cause, but not regarding the loss of Israeli lives. Didn’t mention it.
Mr. Goldschicher, some of his colleagues, and parents complained about what they perceived to be anti-Semitic overtones in CFJ’s posts.
Ultimately, Long Beach School Board President Diana Craighead responded to one teacher’s concerns, acknowledging that “I, too, am concerned about the anti-Semitic nature of their views,” according to the Free Press. reported.
“However, I felt that the benefits of their support for students outweighed my concerns,” Craighead explained.
In addition to the Long Beach area, CFJ also has contracts in Fresno, Oakland and San Jose.
From June 2020 to June 2023, the Fresno Unified School District paid activist organizations $150,000 for leadership programs, the Free Press reported, citing public documents.
Financial transactions between CFJ and Oakland or San Jose were not available, the outlet said.
