FIRST ON FOX: A new report is shining a spotlight on the Southern Poverty Law Center's influence in American colleges, revealing its educational materials are being used to train future K-12 teachers in 38 states as Congress and federal investigators intensify their focus on the organization.According to a report from Defending Education, an education watchdog group that the SPLC once labeled an "extremist" group, researchers examined 100 colleges of education and uncovered SPLC's Learning for Justice, formerly Teaching Tolerance, and the group's Social Justice Standards embedded into teacher preparation programs nationwide.The report said the organization's Social Justice Standards are incorporated into teacher preparation programs that include "Equity, Access, and Anti-bias Education," "Teaching for Social Justice," "Critical Consciousness," and "Socially Just Teachers."Researchers found the materials in required education courses, teacher candidate handbooks, student teacher evaluations, lesson planning assignments, departmental frameworks and professional development for educators.LIBERAL FACULTY STILL HUGELY OUTNUMBER CONSERVATIVES IN HIGHER EDUCATION: REPORTA new report says the Southern Poverty Law Center's Learning for Justice materials are being used in teacher preparation programs across nearly 40 states.(Elizabeth Frantz/Bloomberg via Getty Images; iStock)"It is quite clear that the SPLC’s programming has more than a trivial impact on education," Defending Education Director of Research Rhyen Staley said."Pre-service teachers should not be forced to adhere to or promote politically charged ideologies to obtain a degree.
Furthermore, students and their families deserve an educational experience that is free of political bias and promotes balanced viewpoints."The report argues colleges help shape what future teachers bring into classrooms and that many universities keep their use of Learning for Justice materials out of public view, saying "few COEs outw...