"Inspired by" Oklahoma's "America First Teacher Test, PragerU, the conservative propaganda mill, has a "Teacher Qualification Test," which, in their attempt to establish themselves as a player in the teacher cert game, is suddenly everywhere. Watch some of their videos, they invite, and then take the test-- "Pass, and you’ll earn your certificate—proving your commitment to truth and integrity."
Is this going to be as bad as I think it is? Let's dive in and see.
Step one is give them your personal info so they can add you to their mailing lists. Luckily, I have some contact info for just such an occasion.
So here we go. Thirty-four questions, which seems more than enough to determine if you're a real murican teacher or not. This will take a while, but I think we should get the full effect.
1) Cites Meye v. Nebraska and the right-wing-beloved Pierce v. Society of Sisters to ask who has the ultimate right to direct a child's education. Superintendent, board, federal ed department, or parents? I picked parents and it says that's correct!
2) What is the "fundamental biological distinction between males and females?" Guess we'll assume they mean humans. Two dilly choices (blood type?) plus personal preference and "chromosomes and reproductive anatomy." That's a choice between a straw man that minimizes the way a person comes to grips with their gender and an incomplete answer that skips over all the ways that chromosomes and anatomy do not clarify the issue. I pick blood type. "Sorry, that is not right. Try again."
So this is not really a test, but a training. Cool.
3) How is a child's biological sex typically identified. Skip "parental affirmation of child's preference" and "personal feelings." "Visual anatomical observation and chromosomes" is the preferred answer here, and given the use of the word "typically," I don't even disagree.
4) Which chromosome pair determines biological sex in humans? Pretty sure the wrong answers here are all made up. XX/XY again skips some details, but it's what they want.
4) Why is the distinction between male and female considered important in sports and privacy? Choices are "For equity in minority communities," "To increase participation in sports, To enhance the self-esteem of transgender children, " or their winner, "To preserve fairness, safety, and integrity for both sexes."
As I expected, this test is telling us a lot about what these folks think "the other side" thinks. Nothing here about letting children play sports to have fun with their friends.
6) Should teachers be allowed to express their own political viewpoints in order to persuade students to adopt their point of view? The question is rendered silly by the inclusion of a presumed motive. Wrong answers include "Yes, teachers have freedom of speech, too," "No, once you become a teacher, your freedom of speech in and out of the classroom is restricted," and "Yes, sometimes when the issues are civil rights and social justice." Correct answer is, "No, the classroom is no place for activism." Possible answers did not include "It's only okay when teachers are pushing christian nationalist views that we agree with or showing our propaganda-filled videos."
7) Asks about the Mahmoud case in which the Supremes gave parents the right to opt out of any lessons they disagree with. Some of these questions aren't really questions; just a chance to make a point.
8) First three words in the Constitution?
9) Why is freedom of religion important to America's identity? Correct answer here is "It protects religious choice from government control," which I guess is why outfits like Prager are jockeying for government contracts and approval so that they can have the government control the religious choices of their audiences. "Let the government decide what religion should be in schools" seems counterproductive here, and Prager is not going to approach that question.
10) What are the two parts of the US Congress? Yikes.
11) How many US senators are there?
12) Why do some states have more Representatives than others? Lots of complicated nuance here that could be considered, but no, it's just because of population.
13) What is the primary responsibility of the president's [sic] Cabinet [sic]? Yeah, we have some capitalization issues. "Praise him effusively and try to soothe the aching chasm where his soul should be" is not a possible answer, so I guess "advise the president [sic]" is how to go.
14) Who signs bills into law?
15) What is the highest court in the United States?
16) Which of the following "is a responsibility reserved only for citizens"? Jury duty, home ownership, paying taxes, or possess a driver's license? (It's jury duty)
17) Which of the following are explicitly listed in the bill of rights? Freedom of speech and religion, voting and public education, reproductive rights and healthcare, freedom from data collection and surveillance. Just Prager's little way of saying, "These are the things you are not entitled to." "Owning an automatic weapon that can kill twenty people in one minute" apparently didn't make this list.
18) What right does the Second Amendment protect? I spoke too soon.
19) What is the supreme law of the US? These suckers want you to say "the Constitution." I give them points for including Presidential Executive Orders as a wrong answer, but clearly they are not up to date with Dear Leader's policy of "I am the President. I can do what I want."
20) Who wrote the first draft of the Declaration of Independence?
21) When was the Declaration of Independence adopted? Take your pick of July 4 in several years, and note once again that John Adams was sure July 2 would be celebrated as Independence Day because that was they day the founders actually voted to sever ties with England. The paperwork was finished two days later. Sorry, John.
22) Primary reason colonists fought the British? To resist expansion of British empire, to maintain slavery, to resist taxation without representation, or to resist forced military service? This is prime Prager stuff here, lacking in any hint of nuance or depth and instead focusing on broad, simple answers that a six year old can easily retain. They think it's the tax one. Do not expect a follow-up about how the taxes were related to costs incurred by the French and Indian War.
23) First three presidents?
24) Who is called the "Father of Our Country"? Ben Franklin, Abe Lincoln, Martin Luther King, Jr., or George Washington?
25) What did the Emancipation Proclamation do? Now, Prager does like some detail in its handling of slavery, which it often characterizes as "not that bad." This question is to remind you that Lincoln only freed the slaves in the rebelling states.
26) What was Lincoln's primary reason for fighting the war? Two silly answers and a choice between abolish slavery and preserve the union, because Prager would like you to buy the Southern claim that the way was not about slavery. Bet the next question is not "why did the Southern states commit treason and insurrection?"
27) I win. Next they ask what Martin Luither King, Jr., was best known for. Advocating for segregation, the abolition of slavery, diversity, equity and inclusion, or racial equality under the law? See, even MLK didn't want that DEI stuff. He dreamed of a day when white guys would get jobs over Black guys just because they were better.
28) How did the cold war end? Weird set of answers. US won Cuban Missile Crisis? Russia invaded Ukraine? US, European Union, and Soviet Union signed peace treaty? Soviet Union collapsed? I have so many questions, like did they not hear JD Vance explain that all conflicts were ended by negotiations. But no, we're just meant to remember that capitalism will always beat communism, even when capitalism doesn't actually do anything.
29) Who was President [finally got it right] during the Great Depression?
30) What is the name of the national anthem?
31) Why are there thirteen stripes on the flag?
32) Which national holiday honors those who died while serving in the military?
33) Which of the following is a phrase from the Pledge of Allegiance? Rule out the two obvious incorrect answers and you get a choice between "one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all" or "one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." Too late to change your answer for #6.
34) From whom does the US government derive its power? "The people" will have to do as a correct answer, as "certain people who are the true Americans" is not a stated option.
So, a combination of fourth grade civics questions, push-poll type questions designed to make a point rather than ask a question, and absolutely nothing about actual teaching, pedagogy or content knowledge. Throw in some LGBTQ panic and parent rights flapjackery. Also, a pitch for a contribution, and now their contact list is a little larger. I look forward to my snappy certificate certifying that while I may or may not know jack squat about teaching, I am at least knowledgeable about some part of the current culture panic. In the meantime, people who are only half paying attention will absorb the notion that PragerU has something to say about teachers in this country, which is a sad lie to have loose in the world.
