Thread by @LaneyHawes

Fellow PublicEd loving Texans, settle in for a 🤯story about who seems to be behind the new far right TASB alternative (TEE @tx4excellence) being promoted by @NateSchatzline @TimothyOHare & @Julie4TX. 🧵/1 @cjtackett @Forrest4Trees @stevanzetti @brianlopeztx @Mike_Hixenbaugh

This secretive org trying to infiltrate TX public schools is registered in Delaware & Its website lists a fake address & no leadership. When TEE popped up meddling in our school board races here in @KellerISD & @GCISD this past year, us parents decided to investigate /2

We requested TEE’s tax filings from the state of Delaware, & look what we discovered ⬇️TEE (a supposed education policy/school board association) is being run by (& headquartered at the condo of) a Dallas hospitality/club promoter specializing in Roller Skating Rinks?! 🛼 /3

Don’t get me wrong, Adrian & Tory seem like lovely (and fun!) people, but why is this guy listed as the director & president of an org that’s vying to write & implement policies & guide school boards & admin for ISDs across the entire state of TX? Who is Adrian Verdin?! /4

It didn’t take long to discover that Adrian Verdin seems to be a close & longtime associate of Monty Bennett of Ashford Hospitality. Even spending a recent evening at Bennett’s famous “Lazy W Ranch,” hosted by Bennett’s company. Why is this important? Keep reading. ⬇️/5

Monty Bennett has recently injected massive amounts of money into school board races across North TX. And he recently attempted (but failed) to implement a voucher scheme to fund private schools w/ public funds in @WimberleyISD. And now it seems he’s behind TEE. @patrickcsisson

What does Dallas real estate & hotel magnate Monty Bennett want w/ my children’s education in @KellerISD? (He just spent $22k here to elect his candidates to our board!) @tx4excellence care to explain? /6

https://twitter.com/laneyhawes/status/1665571500231999491

He spent $15k in @Plano_Schools races last month /7

https://twitter.com/laneyhawes/status/1665577643662557184

Monty Bennett spent $7500 in @NorthwestISD school board races last month. /8

Monty Bennett spent $2500 in @EMSISD school board races last month. /9

Monty Bennett spent $10k in @mckinneyisd school board races last month. /10

Monty Bennett spent $5k last year in @GCISD school board races. /11

These are just Bennett’s recent personal donations that I was able to find in North TX filings- I imagine there are MANY more across TX. Not to mention the money funneled thru PACs, LLCs, & NonProfits. I’m sure when final campaign filings are due this month, we’ll find more. /12

@NateSchatzline Bennett donated $6000 to your campaign, @TimothyOHare he donated $20k to yours. Is this good old fashioned quid pro quo? Care to explain why you’re promoting an org to replace @tasbnews whose director is a club promoter w/ ZERO experience in education policy? /13

For a bit more info on this “non partisan” org looking to take over Texas schools, read this thread. /14

https://twitter.com/cjtackett/status/1665415675987329024

And did I mention Monty Bennett purchased a news publication, @MyDallasExpress that he uses to publish articles & op-eds that push his political agenda & sow distrust toward public education? /15 dallasweekly.com/2021/02/former…

And no surprise here, the Dallas Express is promoting this new TASB replacement, @tx4excellence in their publication. Or should I say, they’re promoting THEIR own new education association. /16 dallasexpress.com/education/tasb…

This is Just the tip of the iceberg. TX just finished its legislative session & NO Ed funding bill was passed. Leaving our schools underwater & funded at the same rate we’ve at at since 2019. And it’s all part of the TX GOP plan. /17 @mimiswartz texasmonthly.com/news-politics/…

@DrRDubKellerISD @BowlingRitchie @antraasa @technolibrary @frankstrong @mentack @mishshel @TexasAFT @jkwilsiii @AnneRussey @ambigbee @Carrollisd

More important context from @Mike_Hixenbaugh

https://twitter.com/mike_hixenbaugh/status/1664661504208125953