Albuquerque Public Schools (APS) approved $336,500 of American Rescue Plan money in 2021 for a training program linked to the People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond (PISAB). Records obtained by America First Legal show the district ultimately spent almost $700,000 on the program, which critics say diverted funds meant to help students recover from COVID‑era learning loss.
Training program details
The curriculum, delivered through the Anti‑Racism Training Institute of the Southwest (ARTI), included a series called “Community Conversations,” an introductory course on core equity and anti‑racism principles, as well as multi‑day “Undoing Racism” workshops. By July 2022, at least 721 APS staff members – teachers, principals, and senior officials – had attended ARTI sessions.
PISAB, which receives grants from George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, provides materials that instruct “White folks” to “learn how [they] became white” and defines race as a “specious classification of human beings created by Europeans (whites).” The organization’s language frames race as a tool for assigning human worth and maintaining power and privilege.
Critics question the use of federal funds
“Leftist groups infiltrate schools because they know they will have the opportunity to shape and control children’s minds,” said Bobby Crossin, counsel at America First Legal. He added that APS “took money intended by Congress to help students harmed by government lockdowns, and spent it on Critical Race Theory indoctrination sessions.”
Senior counsel Julie Levin echoed those concerns, noting that the American Rescue Plan was designed to get children back on track after the pandemic. “Instead of using that money to help the students, they were using it to pay for these anti‑racism trainings,” Levin told Fox News Digital.
District’s response
APS defended the program, stating it was intended to improve attendance and academic achievement. “We haven’t received criticism about this,” a district spokesperson wrote in an email, adding that the training was used to help with student outcomes.
Internal memos from 2022 reveal that APS considered extending the effort to students, proposing a component that would involve 20 to 30 students per school at up to ten middle and high schools. The plan was never implemented, and APS later received a $27,000 estimate from ARTI for in‑person “Undoing Racism” training in 2023.
Broader context
Levin noted that PISAB continues to offer similar classes in cities such as Seattle, Washington, D.C., Atlanta, and Brooklyn. “All you have to do is go to their website and see the month‑by‑month calendar of these training classes,” she said.
America First Legal pledged to keep exposing instances where public‑school dollars are redirected from core education to ideological programs that they argue divide Americans by race.
What this means for parents
For families in Albuquerque, the controversy raises questions about accountability for federal relief dollars and the role of parental oversight in school‑district decisions. While the district claims the training supports student achievement, critics argue that the primary purpose of the American Rescue Plan funds is classroom instruction, tutoring, and other direct educational services.
Fox News Digital reached out to PISAB for comment but did not receive a response at the time of publication.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
