Thread by @NC5PhilWilliams

THREAD: Summarizing a bonkers couple of days that began with this exclusive about how a prominent charter school advocate talked about public school teachers w/ @GovBillLee when they didn’t know the public would hear what was said behind closed doors! 1/

https://twitter.com/nc5philwilliams/status/1542573965956235264

To minimize the chance of anyone accusing us of taking anything out of context, I posted extended clips from our video. Here’s @Hillsdale’s Larry Arnn saying public school teachers come from “the dumbest parts of the dumbest colleges” - twice! 2/

Here is @Hillsdale’s Larry Arnn saying that diversity officials get education degrees because “it’s easy” and they “don’t have to know anything!” 3/

Arnn is no stranger to controversy on the diversity issue. 4/ Check out this article from USA TODAY:
usatoday.com/story/news/nat…

I had been told that the reception was a bit of a love fest between @GovBillLee and @Hillsdale’s Larry Arnn, and the video supports that notion. Arnn drops a strong hint that Lee should run for higher office (president?) to confront the evils in the nation. 5/

.@GovBillLee’s office was told exactly what would be in the story and given an opportunity to respond specifically to Arnn’s comments - and to explain Lee’s failure to defend teachers. 6/

Instead of directly responding to my questions, @GovBillLee’s office chose to answer their own questions. Clearly, they were given a chance to repudiate those comments, but declined. 7/

The reaction has been swift and intense. 8/ newschannel5.com/news/newschann…

When Tennessee’s teacher colleges are saying to @GovBillLee - in essence - “please defend us,” we are in territory we’ve never seen in Tennessee. 9/ newschannel5.com/news/newschann…

And, by the way, don’t forget our investigation of how @Hillsdale rewrites civil rights history. 10/ newschannel5.com/news/newschann…

One Democratic candidate for governor put out a video statement 11/

https://twitter.com/jasonbmartin/status/1542914666392952832

Another put his response in a tweet 12/

https://twitter.com/jbsmileyjr/status/1542599342556647426

Most Republicans are keeping their heads down, but @JeremyFaison4TN came out in defense of teachers. 13/

https://twitter.com/jeremyfaison4tn/status/1542993359412903938

BTW, I have other video clips that I haven’t used. We’ll see what the coming days hold. #StayTuned 14/14

P.S. (1/2) I was struck by reading this poignant thread about @GovBillLee

https://twitter.com/nancygarrettd12/status/1542834378753048583

P.S. (2/2) After reading that thread, I remembered this part of the Arnn conversation where @GovBillLee was asked about his favorite teacher. First, he said it was his Dad. Watch to the end!

Still spotting reax:

https://twitter.com/ticua/status/1542950535120158721