It’s hard to keep track of all the ways our public schools are currently under attack, with Republican governors responsible for uplifting and preserving them leading the charge against them.

The most obvious of the attacks was Governor Lee’s #1 priority when he took office, which was to steer PUBLIC MONEY TO PRIVATE SCHOOLS through the voucher program he allegedly bribed members of his own party to pass, even offering military promotions.

The program was just expanded by Republicans from Memphis & Nashville to the Chattanooga area, where 12 private schools in Hamilton County are now in Gov. Lee & the GOP’s vouchers program, taking nearly $2 million from public schools.

11 of 12 the are Christian schools. The Lee/Devos privatization plan to steer public ed money to religious schools, “advancing God’s kingdom” as Devos openly put it, is working.

And they’re just getting started.

Then there’s the censorship. As teachers sue Tennessee over the “divisive concepts” law that has them scared to teach the truth, Florida has stepped up their attacks under Desantis, leading to a ban on AP psychology and now SHAKESPEARE BEING CUT.

Yes, Shakespeare. It was only a matter of time.

This is what these Republican censorship laws are doing to our schools. And the more our schools/kids suffer, and leave, the happier these privatizers are. 

But it gets worse. As they accuse our public schools of brainwashing kids, it’s them who are engaged in the real INDOCTRINATION. Desantis/FLORIDA’s Ed Dept approved Prager U indoctrination videos to be taught with Tucker Carlson, Candace Owens as narrators- which teach kids slavery was better than the alternative, literally saying: “Being taken as a slave is better than being killed, no?”

Outrageous.

And then there’s the massive TEACHER SHORTAGE. We currently have 1000+ teacher openings in Tennessee… “alarming shortfalls every year” – while we sit on billions in surplus funds…

Low pay, low trust, little opportunity to change their situation – all this as Lee and the GOP give HUGE raises to the TN Highway Patrol and prison guards. Priorities.

We need y’all to realize hurting teachers/public schools is by design. This teacher shortage is a feature, not a bug for them. Lee, Desantis etc. are privatizers hiding behind the word “choice”.

And as they do all this they engage in OUTRAGEOUS GASLIGHTING – claiming to be at the top in teacher pay while we’re at the bottom. The TN House GOP either has no idea that Tennessee is at the bottom in teacher pay & per pupil spending, or hopes you have no idea.

Watch what they do, not what they say.

Meanwhile KIDS ARE BEING HELD BACK over one test that was not even designed to be used this way. As one mom put it: “It’s ridiculous… communication has been horrible… I’m probably going to pull her out and home school…”

MEMPHIS Parents are upset to learn their kids — WHO CAN READ — are held back based on 1 test, thanks to the new TN GOP/GOV. BILL LEE law.

Not to mention the book bans, the attacks on LGBTQ students… the list goes on. Everything that drives teachers and kids out of our schools using private school vouchers, charters, etc… is a win for Lee and the privatizers. Please see the situation for what it is.

We’ll continue to cover this, and we hope you’ll push other media outlets to cut through the propaganda and cover it this way also..

Please consider chipping in monthly to help us keep us Hollering the truth – make it $10/month or more and we’ll send you a holler hat.  (or on SQUARE)

The Holler

 We just got in a brand new shipment of Holler Hats, in various colors:

MEMPHIS FLYER: “State gun violence statistics show Tennessee has set a new annual record for the # of people who killed in mass shootings…” And it’s only August. 

SCHOOL SHOOTINGS UP IN TN: Even as Rep. Ragan tries to minimize the issue, school shootings are way up in Tennessee over the past few years.. THREAD… 

9-1-1 CALL: “They are advising this 4 year old has shot himself in the head.” Chattanooga Police say since January 2022 there have been 9 kids under 18 shot “accidentally” (aka parental negligence) – Tennessee still does not have a safe storage law. 
TN FIREARMS ASSOCIATION: “People in hell want ice water, but they can’t get it.” The head of TN Firearms Association compares parents who want gun reform to “people in Hell” —despite their own poll showing most Tennesseans agree with Gov Bill Lee that we need an ERPO law.
SEXTON SAYS REFORM WON’T MOVE: Speaker Sexton tells the TN Firearms Association he doesn’t see an ERPO to keep guns from dangerous people making it out of committee despite @GovBillLee saying we need one (and majority support throughout the state)

EXTREMISTS RUN THE PARTY: Despite overwhelming support from the majority of Tennessee and law enforcement, the TN GOP executive committee just passed a resolution asking Gov Bill Lee to betray Covenant families and drop the special session on gun safety.

REINSTATE JONES: “The counsel for Tennessee Three member and recently reelected Rep. Justin Jones has requested Speaker Sexton confirm he will be reinstated to all rights, duties and privileges of his office before the special session on Aug 21…” – Eric Holder is his attorney.

THEY ARE ALL BANNONISTS NOW. Bannon wants to bring everything crashing down. This is on point.

MCCONNELL BOOED: “RETIRE! RETIRE!” The boos at this Kentucky even were merciless, and well deserved.

PHIL WILLIAMS WITH SKRMETTI: “Could these records not be used to prosecute women who cross state lines to get an abortion?” Phil Williams spoke to TN AG Skrmetti, who claimed that isn’t the intention of the letter demanding access to out of state records.

ASHE: “Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs takes aim for governor’s seat with guns-in-libraries rule – and misfires”

DESANTIS FLED THE SCENE: Here’s Desantis asked why he fled the scene after a crash in Chattanooga… It’s the hand motions for us… here’s a Chattanooga officer on the scene saying there should’ve been charges: Why weren’t there?

  The war on “woke” is now even putting Republicans to sleep.

 LISTEN — NYT’S THE DAILY: “The economy keep growing and adding jobs faster than economists predicted… inflation is coming down… hourly wages rose faster than prices…” #Bidenomics

VOTERS TO JUSTIN JONES: “It’s an incredible uphill fight, but we’re so glad you’re in it.” Nashville voters expressed their deep appreciation for Rep. Jones as they sent him back to his seat after being undemocratically expelled by Speaker Sexton and the TN House GOP. ( Ryan Camp)

JUSTIN JONES:  This election shows their attacks on democracy will not go unchallenged… Republicans spent so much money trying to buy this election, but they could not beat people power.”

TRUMP’S AG BILL BARR: “I don’t think it runs afoul of the first amendment — Remember: a conspiracy crime is completed at the time it’s agreed to and the first steps are taken.” #TrumpIndictment

For those who still need to hear this: THERE IS NO FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHT TO ORGANIZE A COUP.  

A REAL PATRIOT  WATCH: “It’s a small thing to do — why everyone isn’t doing this… I don’t get it. Everyone needs to do something to stop this guy. We can’t just stand by and let this happen.”

TRUMP’S LAWYER: “There was a peaceful transition of power.”  DANA BASH: “What happened on January 6th was not peaceful.” Bash does a good job of pushing back on the intense gaslighting and absurd “freedom of speech” claim, which even Trump’s Barr rejects.

MARGE GREENE IN EAST TN: Marge Greene gets big applause as she’s introduced by Rep. Diana Harshbarger at the CLAIBORNE COUNTY GOP’s “Freedom Dinner” Again: She is not the fringe. She is at the heart of the party now. Please adjust your expectations accordingly.

HAMILTON COUNTY: Apparently the Moms (Against) Liberty chapter was just booted off Next Door

MEMPHIS: “The Memphis PD officer who fatally shot Jaylin McKenzie, a 20-year-old Black man, during a traffic stop in December did not turn on his body camera during the encounter…”

TAKE CREDIT, JOE: As Biden labels the BILLIONS in much-needed infrastructure projects his bill (opposed by every TN Republican) is funding across the country, we have a suggestion for an addition to the signs in Tennessee… add “OPPOSED BY EVERY TENNESSEE REPUBLICAN”  

 NASHVILLE — Olivia Hill, the first trans woman to run for office in Tennessee, has advance to the metro council run-off in September.

NASHVILLE — AUGUST 16th: Youth Advocacy Day at the Capitol 10am-3pm

 WILLIAMSON COUNTY: rally at the library August 15th, when Rep. Andy Ogles & Senator Jack Johnson will be holding an event there

WATCH: “A day in the life of a liberal”  

CARTOON OF THE DAY