Gov. Lee's education advisor: Teachers come from 'dumbest parts of dumbest colleges'

[Jilly_in_VA]

A new report from CBS affiliate WTVF claimed that Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee’s education advisor has been mocking the state’s public education teachers and questioning their roles in the classroom.

WTVF reported that they managed to obtain hidden-camera footage of a closed-door reception between the governor and Dr. Larry Arnn, president of Michigan’s ultra-conservative Hillsdale College. In the video, Arnn reportedly belittled diversity efforts in higher education and claimed that people have education degrees because they are “easy” and you “don’t have to know anything.”

The report also said that, throughout the nearly two-hour video, Lee never once stood up in defense of Tennessee’s teachers and only offered praise for Arnn, who Lee has in charge of setting up Tennessee charter schools across the state. Additionally, Lee did not mention his own wife, Maria Lee, who has a degree in elementary education and worked as a teacher for 14 years.

WTVF also listed examples Arnn’s remarks:

“The teachers are trained in the dumbest parts of the dumbest colleges in the country.”
“They are taught that they are going to go and do something to those kids.... Do they ever talk about anything except what they are going to do to these kids?”

https://www.wvlt.tv/2022/06/30/gov-lees-education-advisor-teachers-come-dumbest-parts-dumbest-colleges/

Go to the link for the rest of it. It's appalling.

[multigraincracker]

1. Never heard of a teacher that graduated from

Trump U.

[texasfiddler]

2. Hillsdale College is the dumbest college.

I know because my rightwing father-in-law signed us up for newsletters from that stupid rightwing "think tank" that poses as a college. I forced myself to read a few of them. Hillsdale "College" is zero science and 100% rightwing political propaganda.

[Casady1]

4. I have a really good friend

who graduated from there. He is smart but the rubbish they teach is is mind boggling. It is in a parallel universe.

[scarletlib]

6. True.

Their charter schools are going to be right wing indoctrination camps.

Gotta teach the little kids the “right” way to think.

[CentralMass]

3. I think that would be republican politicians.

[mopinko]

5. in fairness, i once heard albert shanker say- teacher's colleges are turkey farms.

and there are stats that say people chose teaching cuz they know they're mediocre. it didnt used to be that way, but...
but i'll assume that a teacher's college in tennessee rly is a turkey farm.

seems like it's this guys job to fix this. he should get on it.

[scarletlib]

7. My early life plan was to teach.

Didn’t work out but I love schools and academics. Never so happy as to be in that atmosphere.

By the way, I graduated Summa Cum Laude with a degree in humanities with a concentration in History and English Literature.

My personal opinion is that teachers are better served by majoring in a subject area & minoring in Education.

However, I respect all Educators. These people work long hours for little pay and respect from their employer and the public.

Most are really committed to doing their best with the time they have with the children.

[mopinko]

8. i raised 5 kids, they were in every part of the chicago school system.

there were a handful of real stars, but far more punching the clock til they hit retirement. a few were both.
even the stars had trouble w my rebellious kids.

i homeschooled for 8 yrs, in part cuz when i took my 5 yo to an open house at the local school, the teacher looked right past my son and asked me what his name was. there were almost zip toys in the overcrowded classroom. they had the old version of little people, the wooden peg ones. he had tons of the other ones, but had never seen the old ones. he cried half the way home because he wanted to check them out. but i knew that was an hour out of the school year he'd enjoy, bug most days i'd have a crying kid in my lap.

i've had a lot of convos like this here. i support public education, but we do ourselves no favors by lionizing teachers and burying their failures.

[d_r]

11. I am not sure it is lionize ing

To say that they are not, in fact, products of the dumbest parts of the dumbest colleges.

[scarletlib]

12. I wouldn't disagree with your feelings and opinions.

I would point out that lack is materials in the classroom is the fault of the school boards and ultimately the Government at all levels for not properly funding the schools. Teachers should not be obligated to supply materials to classrooms out of their own salaries.

The current system of funding schools results in discrimination whether intended or not. The discrimination is the wealthy and prosperous versus the rest.

There should be no reason for any school to be underfunded and teachers underpaid and overworked.

I dare say many are beaten down and only punching the clock.

[d_r]

10. The president of Hillsdale college

Was a political science / History major.

Ok.

Apparently, now as a college president, he still doesn't understand that, for example, students seeking teacher licensure in history are History majors, who take additional courses in education and then pass a licensure test. In other words they do more than the History majors who ae not seeking licensure.

But let's be honest. He is talking about elementary education majors, because they are majority women and he thinks that women are dumb and the smarter ones go into nursing anyway. Nevermind that at most universities admission to teacher education programs require a higher ACT score than those required for general admission to the university. Nope, women do it and they are just baby sitting anyway and any of them could just naturally do it because it is in their nature to baby sit anyway.