Back in January, Texas Governor Greg Abbott froze H-1B visas for Texas state agencies and universities. Now pushing for the same in public schools, plus an end to foreign curriculum funding.
Gov. Greg Abbott is calling on Texas lawmakers to ban foreign funding in public schools and prohibit districts from employing workers through the federal H-1B visa program.
Abbott announced the proposals Tuesday as part of a broader push aimed at eliminating foreign influence in Texas classrooms.
“The minds of our students are driven by influences that they are exposed to in our public schools,” said Abbott. “Those minds should be shaped by policies that are approved by state lawmakers.”
Abbott pointed to Austin Independent School District’s acceptance of hundreds of thousands of dollars from Qatar to support Arabic language and culture instruction, as well as school districts that have participated in Confucius Classroom programs affiliated with Chinese government-backed entities.
“We cannot condone the quiet indoctrination of our children in the classroom,” said Abbott.
The governor said he will ask lawmakers to prohibit public schools from accepting gifts, money, or property from foreign sources or entering into partnerships or financial agreements with them.
Abbott was joined at the announcement by officials from the Texas Public Policy Foundation, who highlighted examples they say demonstrate foreign and Islamist influence in Texas education.
Kate Bierly said public records obtained from Austin ISD revealed classroom materials associated with Arabic language and culture programs, including an activity in which second grade students were instructed to create a greeting card praising the Prophet Muhammad and attach a cutout of the Kaaba, Islam’s holiest site.
There’s no reason second graders should be studying Islamic culture, or indeed anything much beyond basic American history like Paul Revere and Thanksgiving.
Bierly said the extent of foreign influence in K-12 education is difficult to determine because reporting requirements are less extensive than those governing higher education.
“There is no circumstance in which it is acceptable that Texas children should be indoctrinated with radical Islamist ideologies in Texas schools,” she said.
Abbott is also asking lawmakers to prohibit Texas public schools from employing H-1B visa holders.
An H-1B visa is a temporary U.S. work visa that allows employers to hire foreign workers in certain specialty occupations that typically require at least a bachelor’s degree.
“Exactly zero Texas public school employees should be here on H-1B visas,” said Abbott. “This expands on my prior directive, freezing new H-1B visa petitions in all state agencies and all state universities.”
There’s a narrow case for a few H-1Bs at the university level highly specialized technical roles. There’s none for K-12, as there are plenty of Americans willing to fill those jobs.
Is there anyone who thinks foreign money from non-democratic regimes like China and Qatar should be flowing into our public schools?
Well, besides Democrats who seem to think commies, Jihadis, and foreign money are vital to their coalition…
Tags: Austin, Austin ISD, Communism, Confucius Institutes, education, Greg Abbott, H1B visa, immigration, Jihad, Kate Bierly, Qatar, Texas, Texas Public Policy Foundation
“Well, besides Democrats who seem to think commies, Jihadis, and foreign money are vital to their coalition…”
Well, that’s because they ARE vital to their coalition…
“There’s a narrow case for a few H-1Bs at the university level highly specialized technical roles. There’s none for K-12, as there are plenty of Americans willing to fill those jobs.”
As a former university student who had to put up with multiple “Visiting scholars” teaching core classes, let me remind everyone that these H1-Bs will NOT be native English speakers. Its hard enough for K-12 to learn the basics in a public school. Its nearly impossible when the teacher doesn’t speak English well.
Maybe a few narrow cases, but a $73k/year job as a public relations professional at a university that offers a bachelor’s degree in public relations? Texas State thinks it can only be filled with an H-1B applicant.
I actually know someone in the Texas State PR office, so I reached out to them about this, and they came back with this official statement:
While I wouldn’t have hired an H-1B for that role, it appears that they are complying with the letter of the law, and hired and alumnus who was already in-house.
Kabaa? It is a rock that we should kidnap.