Bill would require transparency of foreign influence in K-12 schools – The Time Machine

Bill would require transparency of foreign influence in K-12 schools

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A bill has been filed in Congress to require transparency about foreign influence in K-12 public schools nationwide. The bill does not ban foreign influence in public schools or threaten to withhold federal education funds if such influence is made public.

U.S. Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Cynthia Lummis, R-Wyo., introduced the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act in the Senate. U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Florida, introduced companion legislation in the House.

The five-page bill would amend the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 to add a section, “Parents’ Right To Know About Foreign Influence.” It would require each local educational agency that received federal education funds to require its elementary and secondary schools to provide parents with “any curricular material or professional development material used at the school that was purchased, or otherwise obtained, using funds received from the government of a foreign country or a foreign entity of concern.”

It also would require public schools to disclose how many employees are being compensated by foreign entities or adversaries if the schools received donations or entered into contracts with, or engaged in any financial transactions, with governments of countries of foreign concern or entities of foreign concern.

It also would require reporting requirements to the U.S. Department of Education.

The U.S. State Department has designated countries of foreign concern for their policies of “systematic, ongoing, egregious violations of religious freedom,” which includes “torture, prolonged detention without charges, forced disappearance, or other flagrant denial of life, liberty, or security of persons.”

They include Burma, the People’s Republic of China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (North Korea), Nicaragua, Pakistan, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan.

Cuba, North Korea and Iran are also designated State Sponsors of Terrorism (SST).

Under the Biden administration, a record more than 1.6 million illegal border crossers were publicly reported from four countries of foreign concern – China, Cuba, Nicaragua and Russia, The Center Square exclusively reported.

While multiple countries are identified by the State Department, Cruz and Lumis raise concerns about Chinese Communist Party infiltration in American schools.

“The Chinese Communist Party spends vast resources to control what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think. Our foreign adversaries are actively targeting American educational institutions,” Cruz said, arguing his bill will “help protect our classrooms from foreign influence by providing parents with the transparency.”

“The Chinese Communist Party has spread its influence across American life, targeting our farmland, technology, and even school systems. Parents deserve peace of mind knowing their children are learning American values, not propaganda from our foreign adversaries. This legislation prioritizes transparency while protecting our children from harmful foreign agendas,” Lumis said.

Instead of requiring public schools not to purchase curriculum, not to engage in financial transactions with, not receive funds, or not employ staff receiving funds from foreign adversaries and restricting federal funds if they do, the lawmakers assert that transparency alone will protect children and parents. Once K-12 schools make public their ties to foreign adversaries, the bill provides no repercussions.

“American schools are for education, not espionage,” Bean said “We cannot allow our students – the future of our great nation – to be corrupted by foreign adversaries who are systematically and aggressively attempting to influence our nation’s K-12 schools. That’s why it’s crucial we parents understand the potential impact of foreign influence on our children’s classrooms and take concrete steps to prevent foreign nations from reaching America’s youth.”

The bill does not require transparency about how many students are enrolled in public schools from countries of foreign concern.

Cruz first introduced the bill last year.