They Used Our Schools. And They Thought No One Would Say a Word.
Today, Anderson County was used.
Secretary of Education Linda McMahon—yes, that Linda McMahon, the one who wants to dismantle the Department of Education altogether—kicked off her 50-state tour at Grand Oaks Elementary School.
Most people in the county had no idea she was coming.
There was no public announcement.
No invitation to parents.
No press release from our local officials.
Not even a heads-up to the full County Commission or School Board.
Why? Because this wasn’t a visit—it was a carefully staged rollout of a national plan to strip public education for parts.
They called it a “roundtable.” What it actually was:
A scripted event
No public input
McMahon reading a statement, not answering questions
A few local officials sitting quietly, smiling for the cameras
And who was there, helping her do it?
Tyler Mayes, Chair of the County Commission
Scott Gillenwaters, Chair of the School Board
Rick Scarbrough, our State Representative
Terry Frank, County Mayor
None of them told the public.
None of them told their boards.
None of them spoke up.
So, let’s call this what it is: complicity.
What’s the agenda?
McMahon is not here to support public schools. She is here to weaken them.
Her goals are crystal clear:
Eliminate the federal Department of Education
Expand vouchers that siphon money out of public schools and hand it over to private and religious schools
Shift control to the states—so lawmakers can gut public education in broad daylight and bury the evidence, refusing to reveal how many voucher dollars go to students who were never in public schools to begin with.
They call this “local control.”
What it really means is less oversight, less funding, and less public input—especially in rural communities like ours.
Anderson County isn’t full of private academies or charter schools. We have public schools. That’s where our kids go. And when you cut their budgets to fund someone else’s private education, guess who suffers?
Our teachers. Our classrooms. Our children.
So when Linda McMahon shows up with her camera crew, gives a speech, dodges every question, and leaves—that’s not listening. That’s marketing.
And when our own local officials show up, smile, and say nothing—that’s enabling.
Why does this matter?
Because this is the first stop on a 50-state campaign to dismantle public education. And they picked us because they thought no one would notice. No one would fight.
But we noticed. And we’re damn sure going to fight.
Our public schools aren’t perfect, but they are ours. They belong to the people who show up every day to teach, feed, clean, and care for our kids—not to politicians flying in with an agenda and a press team.
We’ve said it before, but after today, it needs to be said louder:
Our schools are not for sale.
Our teachers are not props.
And our communities are not stepping stones for a privatization scheme.
Anderson County deserves better than being used.
And we’re not going to stay quiet about it.
What You Can Do Right Now?
1. Call or email the officials who sat silently in that room.
Ask them why they didn’t inform the public—and whether they support Linda McMahon’s plan to dismantle public education:
Tyler Mayes – County Commission Chair
(865) 809-5676
Scott Gillenwaters – School Board Chair
Rick Scarborough – State Representative
Terry Frank – County Mayor
865-457-6200
2. Talk to your neighbors.
Most people haven’t heard about what happened—and that’s exactly what they were counting on. Send them this article. Let them know what’s coming.
3. We’re organizing. We’re fighting back.
This moment is exactly why we need more people who will speak up when it counts—not just sit in the room and smile for the cameras.
And if you’re frustrated by what happened—run.
The best way to make sure this doesn’t happen again is to be the one sitting at that table next time.
We can help you get there. Start here.
