Phil Williams
@NC5PhilWilliams
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Speaking truth to power - and the angry mob. @NC5 chief investigative reporter. 2023 John Chancellor Award. duPont, Peabody, Toner awards. Pulitzer finalist.
Nashville, TN
Joined August 2010
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Pinned Tweet
Thank you! What an incredible shout-out from
@iamjohnoliver
and
@LastWeekTonight
! If you haven’t seen it, here are excerpts. Find the full episode at . (Language warning)
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BREAKING: GOP leader, who voted to expel Tennessee Three, found guilty of sexually harassing interns
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🚨BREAKING 🚨
Six hours after we first confronted Republican Rep. Scotty Campbell, he has now RESIGNED!
BREAKING: GOP leader, who voted to expel Tennessee Three, found guilty of sexually harassing interns
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This is the
@Newseum
's Journalists Memorial, listing the 2,291 individuals who have died around the world reporting the news
#NotTheEnemy
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NEW IMAGES: Incredible devastation on Nashville’s 2nd Ave. as a result of the
#nashvillebombing
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BREAKING: Voters soundly reject Gabrielle Hanson, other MAGA candidates in historic Franklin, Tennessee election
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BREAKING: Drama in Tennessee House subcommittee as protesters are removed by state troopers. Their violation: quietly holding up signs.
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ICYMI: This is the quickest resignation of a public official in my career. (More details in link below.)
BREAKING: GOP leader, who voted to expel Tennessee Three, found guilty of sexually harassing interns
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Awkward silence during opening welcome remarks in Tennessee House of Representatives as Dem Rep.
@JasonAHodgesTN
extends “Welcome to the FBI” - following serving of federal grand jury subpoenas to GOP members.
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Scrolling through Twitter, I have a question: Why is it that some of the same people talking about Herschel Walker being forgiven are upset about Biden pardoning people for simple possession of marijuana?
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BREAKING: Controversial Franklin mayoral candidate Gabrielle
@HansonforMayor
now headed to a likely resounding defeat, based on early vote and absentee totals:
Gabrielle Hanson: 1,788
Incumbent Ken Moore: 8,364
538
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What does gerrymandering look like?
In U.S. House races, 1,093,808 Tennesseans (65%) voted for the Republican candidate, 581,111 (35%) for the Democrat, according to AP results.
But the GOP gets 8 out of 9 (89%) of the congressional seats.
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EXCLUSIVE: 'Now is the time!' Sheryl Crow, Amy Grant push Tennessee lawmakers, governor for action on gun violence
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WATCH: To better understand Democratic frustrations surrounding how business is conducted in Tennessee's GOP supermajority House, watch this segment from our award-winning Revealed investigation - long before
#TheTennesseeThree
made national news. (Please like and share.) 1/2
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Hillary Clinton: “I’m sorry that we did not win this election.”
Kevin McCarthy: “Has Hillary Clinton ever said she lost the 2016 election? She never says it to the press.”
McCarthy: They are the danger to try to deny democracy… I mean, has Hillary Clinton ever said she lost the 2016 election?
Kurtz: Yeah, she called Trump and conceded
McCarthy: But she never says it to the press
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BREAKING: FBI arrests Nashville zip-tie suspect from U.S. Capitol riot, NewsChannel 5 has learned
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Just going to put this out there to see who wants to defend this approach to “science.” Ready... set... GO!!!
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BREAKING: Franklin’s Westhaven Conservatives group has withdrawn its endorsements of their neighbors, Gabrielle Hanson for mayor and Jeff Feldman for alderman, following NewsChannel 5’s investigations. 1/
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CALLER: "This is
@Verizon
security. We have an order in your name. Did you order 3 iPhone 15s?"
ME: "What's my name?"
CALLER: "It's in the name of Jason Suddarth."
ME: "This is a pretty good scam you're running."
CALLER: "Did you say 'scam,' sir?"
ME: "Yes, you don't even know my…
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Gaby has apparently left the building!!!
Multiple sources confirm that, after losing the Franklin mayor’s race, alderman Gabrielle Hanson’s husband dropped off her computer and ID badge at City Hall!
Her term doesn’t end until Nov. 14th.
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This did not go as
@WhitlockJason
anticipated! (I would much rather have this than the situation I experienced a couple of weeks ago where a single dad had to bring his little girl into a much more open men’s room!)
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Check out this photo by my friend John Partipilo! This was NOT an angry African-American protester who set fire to the historic Nashville Courthouse. Does anyone know who this is? (Used by permission of John Partipilo)
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This is Chauncey Bailey, an Oakland journalist, murdered in 2007 as a result of his reporting on corruption in his community
#NotTheEnemy
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GOP FALLOUT IN TENNESSEE: Rep. Paul Sherrell, who recently suggested bringing back lynching as a form of capital punishment, has been removed from the House Criminal Justice Committee by Speaker
@CSexton25
. Sexton's office claims Sherrell was "very agreeable to this change." 1/
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BREAKING: Explosion in downtown Nashville, apparently from parked vehicle on 2nd Ave. Fire department personnel being told to pull back two blocks from explosion site, concerned about potential vehicle bombs. Police bomb squad and fire hazmat team on scene.
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Do you know how much I love secret recordings that get dropped into my lap? Especially when they involve the Tennessee legislature?
#StayTuned
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“Netanyahu was further embarrassed when photos of suitcases full of cash going to Hamas became public. Liberman finally resigned in protest over Netanyahu's Hamas policy which, he said, marked ‘the first time Israel is funding terrorism against itself.’"
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Do Tennessee lawmakers not know that taxpayer-funded school vouchers are already going to Islamic schools TODAY?
If you are going to fund religious schools, you CANNOT limit it to Christian schools!
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MUST WATCH: This call from
@HansonforMayor
- asking about the pic she posted of "supporters" who say they don't know her - is one of the more unusual phone calls I've ever received.
Franklin, Tennessee, this is one of your candidates for mayor. (Details in story below.)
BREAKING: 'Appalled!' Women say
#MAGA
mayoral candidate ripped off their images to claim them as supporters
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The shooter was scared and, instead of calling police, he believed he and his gun could handle the situation.
An innocent woman is dead.
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Oh, my!!! The news gods are smiling on me again!!!
#StayTuned
Do you know how much I love secret recordings that get dropped into my lap? Especially when they involve the Tennessee legislature?
#StayTuned
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BREAKING FROM TENNESSEE: "There are no beds. In Middle Tennessee right now it is impossible to find an empty, staffed ICU, ER, or med/surg bed," says chief medical officer for Sumner Regional Medical Center in Gallatin.
#COVID19
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After several tough weeks covering elections in Franklin TN, anonymous Westhaven residents take out a full-page ad in the
@wherald
, thanking local media who displayed “utmost professionalism, even when they encountered threats to their personal safety.”
Thank you! 🙏
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Privately, some Republicans express concern to me that these events are not only alienating independents, but also GOP women who don’t want their kids getting killed at school.
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What a nice gesture! An incredible card signed by a group of Franklin residents!!! ❤️❤️❤️
BREAKING: Voters soundly reject Gabrielle Hanson, other MAGA candidates in historic Franklin, Tennessee election
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EXCLUSIVE: He doesn't report having checking or savings. So where did Andy Ogles get $320,000 he claimed he loaned his campaign?
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REVEALED: Tennessee Rep. Andy Ogles faces ethics complaint, comparison to George Santos
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For those who claim Jan. 6 was not an insurrection, listen! They talk about their desire to replace the government “with real governors” and about “civil war.” 1/
NEW:
Dramatic new Jan. 6 video shows two GOP representatives speaking with Capitol rioters through the broken windows of the House chamber doors as officers point weapons at the mob attempting to breach the floor.
This evidence was released in response to a request by
@NBCNews
.
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Had dinners this week with two different GOP sources/friends. The personal agonizing over the future direction of their party is real.
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Sharing this recent voicemail as an example of what is at stake in our current political climate. Hate creates hate. Labeling journalists as the “enemy of the people” emboldens those who are inclined to treat us as less than human. As for me, I will NOT be intimidated!
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REVEALED: Secret recording shows school voucher proponent talking of 'public hangings' of lawmakers
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Because “a lot of Christians in Tennessee” want to impose their particular religious views through the political process, I should not report that “a lot of Christians in Tennessee” want to impose their particular religious views through the political process?
@NC5PhilWilliams
there are a lot of Christians in Tennessee that believe the strongest Way Forward is a secure nation, defined by borders, with Judeo-Christian values. It pains me to see Democrats masquerading as journalists - attempting to influence elections.
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In Tennessee House committee last night, GOP leadership did NOT have the necessary two-thirds vote to end debate on school vouchers. They did it anyway.
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Did not have this on my bingo card! Tennessee House votes 89-0 to commend me for the John Chancellor Award (resolution sponsored by my rep)! Thank you!
Now, I have some questions for you! 😉
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George Santos is gone, but Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles remains - as do the MANY questions raised by our
@NC5
investigations!
Catch the video highlights in this thread! 🧵
@AndyOgles
@RepOgles
ICYMI: He doesn't report having checking or savings. So where did Andy Ogles get $320,000 he claimed he loaned his campaign?
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REVEALED: Confidential documents describe secret effort to elect lawmakers for school privatization
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Thanks to
@iamjohnoliver
and
@LastWeekTonight
, a source has changed my contact information in her phone! 😂🤣😂
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BREAKING: Nearly 30,000 firearms stolen from vehicles since Tennessee GOP relaxed gun laws
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There was no missile! There were no voting machines inside the AT&T building! There was no secret plan to finance the redevelopment of 2nd Ave. Want proof that we have serious issues in this country? Read social media comments!
#NashvilleBombing
#GetALife
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TELL ME WHERE I’M WRONG!
For years, “education reform” forces (aka school privatizers) demanded “accountability” testing, which (public education advocates argued) required educators to “teach to the test” at the expense of real learning.
Those privatization forces then used…
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Was it something I said? 🤷♂️ (Please reply with screenshots of anything she has posted in last couple of days - and in future days.)
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CONTEXT: Often lost in the conversation about U.S. inflation is the role of corporate profits in driving up prices.
#themoreyouknow
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Thanks for all the kind words regarding this on-going
@HansonForMayor
investigation! This project is a testament to the
@EWScrippsCo
motto: "Give light and the people will find their own way.” 1/
BREAKING: Voters soundly reject Gabrielle Hanson, other MAGA candidates in historic Franklin, Tennessee election
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The harassment campaign by
@HansonforMayor
supporters continues. The self-proclaimed "actual literal Nazi" and a
@Moms4Liberty
activist (both Hanson supporters) post the same image of me in blackface just minutes apart. 1/
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It is pretty amazing when public officials tell me one thing privately that is nuanced and rational in approaching highly emotional topics, then they take to X to throw red meat to their base - as if I won’t notice. Trust me, I see you!
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Every time that I get a “why don’t you investigate Democrats” message, I know that I am dealing with a “low-information” person who doesn’t understand that (1) I have investigated plenty of Democrats and (2) there are no Democrats in power in Tennessee state government.
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Scrolling through Tennessee legislative Twitter, Republicans are incredibly quiet tonight! 🤔
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WATCH: A NewsChannel 5 investigation uncovered questions about whether state troopers should ever have been used to forcibly remove worried mothers whose only offense was silently holding up small signs of protest. (More details in link below.)
REVEALED: 'We have arrived in a very scary place,' use of THP against peaceful protesters questioned
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Are you ready? “Phil’s got the tape!”
Do you know how much I love secret recordings that get dropped into my lap? Especially when they involve the Tennessee legislature?
#StayTuned
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Encouraging everyone to vote is a tell-tale sign that I am secretly a Democrat? Sorry that you don’t share my passion for civic participation. Probably says more about you than me.
I always love it when liberal journalists try to masquerade as if they are nonpartisan. Just come out with it. I'm a democrat. I support Democrat policies. I want Tennessee to turn blue. Let's cut to the chase.
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BREAKING: Franklin's MAGA mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson poses with self-proclaimed neo-Nazi in new post
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BREAKING: Protesters stage sit-in on ground floor of Tennessee Capitol after arrests made in House gallery. Protesters were ejected for chanting “Ku Klux Kameron.” 1/
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This morning, I am extremely grateful for this incredible honor. This work can sometimes be exhausting, and occasionally the subjects try to retaliate. But I am lifted up by the difference that I can make in my community and the fact that the hard work is noticed. Thank you!
Please join us in congratulating
@NC5PhilWilliams
of
@NC5
, who is the 2023
#ChancellorAward
recipient. Each year, the award is given to a reporter whose body of work shows courage and integrity. Congratulations, Phil! (Photo: WTVF)
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BREAKING: In new lawsuit, former TN state Rep. Scotty Campbell -- who resigned six hours after I confronted him about sexual harassment allegations -- says he "forced to resign upon threat of being expelled" by
@JeremyFaison4TN
to keep a similar complaint against Faison secret.
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All of the
#MAGA
keyboard warriors are showing their ignorance of the fact that the Covenant School shooter initially targeted a mall, before picking a more-vulnerable Christian school. Which doesn’t fit the narrative that this crowd desperately wants to push.
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ICYMI: House Speaker, others subpoenaed by federal grand jury
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Ah, yeah!!!
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ICYMI: What did the GOP know - and when did they know it? My investigation of the sexual harassment scandal involving now-former House Republican leader Scotty Campbell isn't over.
REVEALED: What did GOP know about sexual harassment scandal?
#TheTennesseeThree
want investigation
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ICYMI: He doesn't report having checking or savings. So where did Andy Ogles get $320,000 he claimed he loaned his campaign?
EXCLUSIVE: He doesn't report having checking or savings. So where did Andy Ogles get $320,000 he claimed he loaned his campaign?
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BREAKING: Controversial Franklin mayoral candidate Gabrielle
@HansonforMayor
refuses to denounce “actual literal Nazis” who came to forum to “protect” her and blames her colleagues for the division in the community. “You reap what you sow.” 1/
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BREAKING: Williamson County Chancery Court officials tell me that Gabrielle
@HansonforMayor
did NOT file a petition before midnight challenging the Franklin, Tennessee, mayoral election. That was the deadline. This would appear to finally end this bizarre saga.
BREAKING: Defeated Franklin mayor candidate Gabrielle Hanson doesn't see defeat, imagines conspiracy instead
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TN Constitution, Article I, Section 23. “That the citizens have a right, in a peaceable manner, to assemble together for their common good, to instruct their representatives, and to apply to those invested with the powers of government for redress of grievances.” Does it apply?
BREAKING: Drama in Tennessee House subcommittee as protesters are removed by state troopers. Their violation: quietly holding up signs.
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For those keeping score on the
@TNHouseGOP
’s expulsion of two Democrats over their gun violence protest… Twitter followers:
@brotherjones_
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@Justinjpearson
171K
House Speaker
@CSexton25
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Haven’t seen this anywhere, so I offer my armchair analysis/hunch: SCOTUS denied expedited review of Trump’s immunity claims to avoid getting its hands dirty. DC Circuit will reject claims, then SCOTUS will deny cert - just as it did with the election challenges. Am I wrong?
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BREAKING:
@MNPDNashville
officer says the RV used in the
#nashvillebombing
was playing the song “Downtown” by Petula Clark. Lyrics: “When you’re alone and life is making you lonely, you can always go downtown.”
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REVEALED: House Speaker calls for expulsion of three Democrats, but 'can't prove' claims of violence
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Five years today, a mentally disturbed man slaughtered innocent people at a Nashville Waffle House - and Tennessee lawmakers just adjourned a fifth legislative session without dealing with the issues raised by the mass shooting.
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BREAKING: 'We're trying to throw the whole freaking system in the trash,' school voucher sponsor says in new recording
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This is big!!! Gabrielle Hanson lost her own Westhaven precinct by a 2-1 margin, according to data collected by my colleague,
@emwest22
.
Gabrielle Hanson: 232
Ken Moore: 556
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And, yes, I was married to an alcoholic who ultimately lost her life to this insidious disease. Her illness is no reflection upon me, and I am completely unaffected by any effort to disparage me using our family tragedy. Truth will prevail! The story continues! 2/2
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UPDATE: Franklin’s
@mayorkenmoore
tells me Gabrielle
@HansonforMayor
still has not called him to concede, congratulate or wish him well!
Are you surprised?
BREAKING: Voters soundly reject Gabrielle Hanson, other MAGA candidates in historic Franklin, Tennessee election
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#MAGA
accounts openly encouraging followers to troll me - for speaking the truth. It must be a day that ends in “y.” 😂
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WATCH:
@SherylCrow
and
@AmyGrant
tell Tennessee lawmakers,
@GovBillLee
that “now is the time” for action on gun violence following the
#CovenantSchoolShooting
(Please LIKE and RT!)
EXCLUSIVE: 'Now is the time!' Sheryl Crow, Amy Grant push Tennessee lawmakers, governor for action on gun violence
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Yes, a lot of words there. Bottom line, you do not support voucher schools being subjected to the same accountability standards imposed on traditional public schools to measure “quality.”
@NC5PhilWilliams
For all your followers who didn’t see. I answered the question twice. Phil just ignores and only gives views to his misguided tweet. 🦗 🦗 🦗
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BREAKING: TN House Speaker
@CSexton25
, every GOP House member asks
@GovBillLee
to call special session to strip local health depts & school boards of power to enforce
#COVID19
mandates, incl. masks. Also to debate "discrimination" against unvaccinated blocked from certain venues.
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I remember the shock that I felt when a Republican friend told me “a lot of people don’t think it’s that big a deal.” I had watched videos of police officers fighting for their lives. I had no words! I still don’t.
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This would be entirely expected from private schools that can self-select which affluent, non-disabled children can attend.
Which school, Chris?
The private high school I went to currently has:
15:1 teacher to student ratio
12-18 students in each class
Tuition between $9,600 & $11,200
Over 50% of students inducted into National Honor Society
SAT scores consistently higher than the regional & national average
99%…
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Multiple sources have told me that the selective leak of three pages of the
#CovenantSchool
shooting “manifesto” is EXTREMELY misleading. People who have read the whole thing say “there’s something in there for everybody.” Another, “She hated everybody.”
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MUST WATCH: New evidence may link mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson to white supremacist harassment campaign (Details in link below) 1/
BREAKING: New evidence may link mayoral candidate Gabrielle Hanson to white supremacist harassment campaign
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If you value my reporting here, please consider helping bump up my follower count on that other platform! Plz repost!
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I work from home for one day, and someone is back at the office ready to take my place!!!! 😂🤣😂
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Being so personally vulnerable doesn’t come easily for me, but my personal journey helps me to better understand the difficulties faced by the people I meet. Thanks
@KeithSharonTN
for sharing my story.
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I had not intended to comment on this Telegram post, but since others have posted it, I will offer two brief observations: This is a story that is important to this community. I will not be deterred from continuing to do my job. 1/
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Arizona gave families public money for private schools. Then private schools raised tuition. Critics worry that the state’s new universal school choice program is a subsidy for the affluent
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