Alleged CCP financial infiltration in American K-12 schools prompts calls for investigation

AP Photo/Andy Wong, File

Parents Defending Education (PDE), a grassroots organization devoted to combating classroom indoctrination, has allegedly uncovered financial links between Chinese Communist Party (CCP)-sponsored organizations and American K-12 schools. These findings are outlined in a newly published report, "Little Red Classrooms," shared with 34 governors, key legislators, and committee chairs.

PDE President Nicole Neily expressed concerns over the findings, stressing the need for transparency, particularly at the K-12 level. Neily called for urgent action from both state and federal elected officials to safeguard American students from potential foreign interference, Fox News reported.

The PDE report was submitted to various key figures, including Rep. Virginia Foxx, Rep. Mike Rogers, and Rep. Mike McCaul. The group's investigation reportedly found that substantial China-linked funding has found its way into American classrooms, raising concerns about potential CCP propaganda in the form of Chinese language and culture programs.

PDE's findings suggest that 143 U.S. school districts, including those associated with top-tier science and technology high schools and several near U.S. military bases, have engaged in contracts to establish Confucius Institutes and Classrooms, viewed as a significant security risk given China's adversarial relationship with the U.S.

Among the specific examples cited is an agreement between Kentucky's Simpson County Board of Education and North China Electric Power University, a Chinese government-associated entity. This agreement saw 34 Chinese teachers sent to Simpson County Public Schools for the 2020-2021 academic year. PDE also referred to two Chinese nationals teaching Mandarin in a Delaware school district following a rigorous selection process in China that involved government officials.

According to PDE's analysis, 34 states plus the District of Columbia have schools involved in financial dealings with Chinese government or affiliated entities. PDE suggests that the Chinese government uses Confucius Institutes and Classrooms to promote its global agenda, exploiting these partnerships as a tool for overseas propaganda.

PDE has appealed to committees to investigate and expose the extent of the Chinese government's involvement in U.S. schools. Furthermore, the group flagged the operation of Confucius Institutes and Classrooms in schools near sensitive military locations as a significant security risk.

Letters were also dispatched to numerous influential lawmakers, as well as to Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs, requesting an investigation into potential ties between Arizona's public schools and Chinese government-sponsored programs.

PDE's report also broke down the almost $18 million expenditure across 143 school districts in 34 states and the District of Columbia, underscoring the seriousness of their concerns.