Cruz seeks to ‘safeguard’ schools from CCP influence, require parental review of foreign curricula

EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Ted Cruz will put forward a bill Monday aimed at curbing the influence of China and other malign actors in U.S. schools.

Cruz, R-Texas, authored the Senate’s version of the Transparency in Reporting of Adversarial Contributions to Education (TRACE) Act. 

The legislation requires schools to give parents the ability to review – or "trace" – any curriculum provided by foreign actors or purchased with foreign funding.

Cruz said it is imperative that such guardrails be put in place, as American adversaries see the younger generation as a ripe target.

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"The Chinese Communist Party exerts vast resources to control what Americans see, hear, and ultimately think," Cruz said.

"The CCP continues to target American educational institutions, as do other foreign adversaries. The TRACE Act will give parents the transparency they need and deserve, and help safeguard classrooms from foreign influence."

In the case of China, the CCP’s control of the social media app TikTok has long been under fire for its pattern of influencing youth. 

In June, House Education Committee member Aaron Bean, R-Fla., drafted the lower chamber’s version of the first-of-its kind legislation. Bean separately added that U.S. schools are for "education, not espionage."

"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," he said.

"That’s why it’s so important we solidify the rights of parents to know how foreign influence may be impacting their child’s classroom and take concrete steps to deter the ability of foreign nations to reach America’s youth."

The Jacksonville lawmaker went on to thank Cruz for putting forward companion legislation, expediting the process of sending the bill to President Biden’s desk, should it pass both chambers.

Cruz’s bill also won the endorsement of Parents Defending Education, a grassroots group focused on blunting activist agendas in schools.

"When parents send their children to school, they should have the peace of mind in knowing where the education funds are coming from," PDEA director of federal affairs Michele Exner said Monday.

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"Unfortunately, there is alarming evidence found by our partner organization, Parents Defending Education, showing foreign nations, particularly adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party, are trying to use America's classrooms to advance their strategic objectives at our country's expense. We cannot allow this to happen."

The bill mandates that schools must furnish parents with information about curricula that are sourced or funded by foreign entities at no cost. It also specifies that school districts are to prominently post or disseminate a statement of parents' rights under this policy at the beginning of each school year.

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In 2023, Oklahoma's top elected education official called for congressional action to blunt such foreign influence.

Oklahoma Superintendent of Education Ryan Walters previously called CCP influence a national security risk and noted in a recent Fox News Digital interview that schools in the Sooner State are prohibited from partnering with "antagonistic" countries.

In the same way that Mao Zedong’s "Little Red Book" indoctrinated Chinese youth in the mid-20th century, similar risks are present today thorough foreign funding and "Confucius Classroom" programs, Walters said.