Email reveals Education Secretary Miguel Cardona worried about making sure teachers were behind new 'woke' curriculum

 US Education Secretary Miguel Cardona wanted to make sure teachers supported a new 'woke' curriculum in his previous role in Connecticut, an email has revealed.

In his previous role as Connecticut schools commissioner, Cardona wrote how he wanted to make sure his team was 'involved' and that the state's teachers supported the new 'woke' curriculum, according to a Fox News report .

In an email sent Nov. 1, 2019, obtained by Fox News through a Freedom of Information Act request, Cardona writes that he agrees with his then-chief-of-staff, Laura Stefon, that 'We need to be involved' in the group creating a critical race theory curriculum.

He adds 'I want the new Teacher of the Year [2020] Meghan Hatch Geary on it also, for several reasons,' the then-commissioner wrote.

In his November 1 email, Cardona also noted that Hatch-Geary would be a good candidate for the group because of her previous experience in subjects the curriculum tackles.

He noted that she 'studied Black and Latino studies for her Master's Program... Has created programming incorporating social justice, for race and gender inequalities... Her application included more references to the importance of Black leaders in History than anything I have read before... She volunteered teaching in Ghana and Ecuador... Understands curriculum reduces invisibility for students of color and creates global preparedness for all students.'

 'We need teachers behind this wave of our curriculum becoming more 'woke,'' he continued.

'Sends the right message that we are asking the ToY to help us do better,' Cardona said, using an abbreviation for Teacher of the Year. 

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When serving as Connecticut's education commissioner, Education Secretary Miguel Cardona wrote a 2019 email saying he wanted to ensure teachers were supportive of the state's new 'woke' curriculum [File photo]

'I want the new Teacher of the Year (2020) Meghan Hatch-Geary on it also, for several reasons,' Cardona wrote, elaborating: 'We need teachers behind this wave of our curriculum becoming more "woke".'

The comments came as Connecticut's education department was tasked with putting together a new high school course called African-America, Black, Puerto Rican, and Latino Studies. 

The course will be optional for the upcoming school year but required from the fall of 2022, Fox News reported. 

 The curriculum was fully approved by the state in December 2020.

Connecticut's curriculum asks students to understand 'the construct of race and why and how it was developed' and spends three days assessing systemic racism and the Black Lives Matter Movement.

The course also includes readings and discussions on other topics including slavery and 'What African American, Black, Latino(a), and Puerto Rican histories reveal about the United States, its foundation and how power is structured today?' 

Some teachers have complained that changing the curriculum to deal with controversial topics is disruptive and has led to backlash from some parents. 

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Cardona said he wanted 2020 Teacher of the Year Meghan Hatch-Geary involved in the curriculum's advisory group partly because of her expertise teaching 

Cardona said in a press release at the time: 'Identities matter, especially when 27 percent of our students identify as Hispanic or Latino and 13 percent identify as Black or African-American'. 

'This curriculum acknowledges that by connecting the story of people of color in the U.S. to the larger story of American history. The fact is that more inclusive, culturally relevant content in classrooms leads to greater student engagement and better outcomes for all.'

A U.S. Department of Education spokesperson told Fox News: 'Under the leadership of Secretary Cardona, the Department of Education remains committed to advancing educational quality and ensuring that we prioritize, replicate, and invest in what works for all students, not just some.'

The new Connecticut curriculum comes as schools across the country grapple with how to tackle race and history in lessons. 

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Two Republican lawmakers have hit out at plans by Cardona to provide grants to teach critical race theory, claiming it would usher in a 'dangerous' curriculum [File photo]

The Education Department last week proposed two new funding priorities covering US history and civics education programs and activities.

Federal grant money will be offered to incentivize the 'woke' lessons for teachers and students.

The move hopes to 'incorporate racially, ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse perspectives' into the curriculum and improve 'information literacy',

The move hopes to 'incorporate racially, ethnically, culturally, and linguistically diverse perspectives' into the curriculum and improve 'information literacy', The Washington Examiner reported.

Republican strategist John Feehery slammed the plans and accused the Biden administration of ignoring the more pressing issue of opening up schools.

He believes that parents would prefer for their children to receive an education that prepares them for college or a good job. 

He said: 'They don't want this political balderdash. I think it is politically tone-deaf on their part, and I think it will hurt them in swing-state districts.'

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Republican strategist John Feehery slammed the plans

Former Kansas Republican Rep. Tim Huelskamp agreed, seeing it as 'nothing more than an attempt to misuse hard-earned taxpayer dollars to indoctrinate America's children with even more anti-American nonsense.' 

He believes the so-called 'woke' lessons will help Republicans as people are turned off by Biden's plans.

The proposals could be enforced by this fiscal year and hope to convey how history and civics education can convey the importance of diversity in US democracy.

The syllabus will focus on slavery and the major contributions of black people to society. 

The proposed rule states: 'It is critical that the teaching of American history and civics creates learning experiences that validate and reflect the diversity, identities, histories, contributions, and experiences of all students.'

Some see the second proposal as a direct rebuke to Donald Trump as it seeks to teach students how to critically evaluate information to distinguish truth from fact.

The push for the new syllabus was previewed early in Biden's administration after he signed an executive order to address racial inequity.  

The proposals come amid a huge backlash over 'woke' lessons in private schools, which have led to one teacher losing his job after he complained. 

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In one incident, math teacher Paul Rossi (above) was 'relieved of his teaching duties' at the $57,000-a-year Grace Church School in Manhattan after he penned an essay accusing the school of indoctrinating students last week

Last week, parents and teachers from New York City private schools that charge more than $50,000 annual tuition accused educators there of indoctrinating students with anti-racism material.

Manhattan-based Grace Church School teacher Paul Rossi was ousted from the classroom on Monday after he accused the school of 'indoctrinating' students with antiracist lessons 'at the cost of students' psychological and intellectual development'. 

In an essay shared on former New York Times editor Bari Weiss's Substack, Rossi said he could no longer stay silent while 'witnessing the harmful impact' that the curriculum has on children. 

Days later, another elite New York City prep school was accused by a parent of brainwashing his child with anti-racism ideology. 

Andrew Gutmann, 45, had announced in an April 13 letter shared by journalist Bari Weiss this week that he has chosen not to reenroll his daughter in the all-girls Brearley school where annual tuition is $54,000. 

He pulled his daughter from the school over its woke antiracism 'obsession.' He accused the school of 'teaching what to think not how to think.'

The school responded by slamming him for being 'offensive.'