CORPUS CHRISTI—A new investigation released by Accuracy in Media shows educators admitting that they teach principles of the 1619 project.
Accuracy in Media—an organization that empowers individuals to hold journalists, public officials, and private officials accountable—has released a new undercover investigation into Corpus Christi government schools. The video shows two educators boasting about how staff teach principles of the 1619 project, but without using the terminology to students.
The government schools in question are the Calallen and Ingleside Independent School Districts.
The 1619 Project is The New York Times Magazine’s “initiative to reframe the country’s history by placing the consequences of slavery and the contributions of black Americans at the very center of our national narrative.” The project has been widely criticized as having some “factual errors” in regards to “major events.”
During Texas’ 87th Legislative Session in 2021, Gov. Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3979 into law, which was supposed to prevent teachers from utilizing critical race theory and prohibit teaching that one race or sex is inherently superior to another.
After Abbott called for stricter limits on the widely criticized Critical Race Theory (CRT), the Legislature passed Senate Bill 3 during a second special session that year, and strengthened the measure to protect all areas of learning. Abbott signed this into law as well, and it came into effect December 2, 2021.
Despite Abbott enacting such laws against teaching CRT material—like the 1619 Project—government educators in Corpus Christi have been exposed for admitting that they still teach principles from the radical ideology.
During an undercover interview with Calallen Independent School District Curriculum Director Jodi Ferguson, she told investigators that while teachers aren’t directly teaching 1619 and using the terminology, they are still teaching the concepts associated with it.
“I will say we probably don’t say ‘1619.’” said Ferguson. “But, are some of the concepts in there, in the way we’re teaching it, are they in there? I would say yes. But we just can’t say ‘1619 Project.'”
“That would be a terminology we would avoid,” she added.
At Ingleside ISD, Instructional Programs Director Karen Mircovich also revealed to investigators that they “have a lot of power” because of where they are, and are open to teaching and supporting educators who want to teach diversity, equity, and inclusion or CRT.
When asked if she is confident that teachers would “close the door and teach what is right” regardless of the laws, she confirmed that they would.
“Our investigations have proven that Texas laws banning the principles of CRT aren’t worth the paper they’re printed on,” AIM President Adam Guillette told Texas Scorecard. “The only solution is universal school choice.”
Last week, the Texas Senate passed Senate Bill 1, which creates $8,000 educational savings accounts for students. The legislation passed by a vote of 18-13. It is currently in the Texas House’s Educational Opportunity and Enrichment Committee awaiting a hearing.
Texas Scorecard has previously reported on two other undercover investigations into San Antonio and Austin area government schools where administrators were caught saying they were attempting to bypass and defy the statewide ban on CRT.
Texas Scorecard reached out to Ferguson and Mircovich, but neither responded to a request for comment before publication.
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