27/01/2025
Comprehensive Timeline of Connections: From Obama to Bill Lee’s Administration, via Far Left Organizations
1994 - 2002
Barack Obama serves as a board member of the Joyce Foundation, a Chicago-based private philanthropy that invests in public policy and strategies to advance racial equity and economic mobility. During this time, the Joyce Foundation distributes $65 million annually from assets of $1.3 billion.
Obama and Bill Ayers co-author the Chicago Annenberg Challenge proposal, which secures $49.2 million in funding to reform Chicago public schools. Obama served as chairman of the Challenge from 1995 to 1999. Ayers, a former Weather Underground radical, becomes a focal point of scrutiny due to his controversial past and connections to Obama.
2004
Oct 21, 2004: Obama highlights the need for s*x education to help children discuss molestation.
In November, Obama was elected to the U.S. Senate with 70% of the vote.
2006
Obama writes and publishes his book The Audacity of Hope, proposing revamping America's education system. In October, he announced he is considering a run for the presidency of the United States.
2007
In February, Obama announced his candidacy for the position of U.S. president.
2008 - 2016
Barack Obama serves as President of the United States, advancing numerous education policies.
2008: Arne Duncan, Obama’s choice for Secretary of Education, focuses the Department of Education on securing funding for Race to the Top, Obama’s signature education initiative.
2008: Obama launches his "Children’s First Agenda" focusing on zero-to-five early education initiatives. Obama proposes $10 billion to guarantee early childhood education for all. Obama states that the fight for social and economic justice begins in the classroom.
2009: Race to the Top is funded with $4.35 billion from the stimulus bill, focusing on building data systems, and adopting Common Core standards. $350 million is set aside to fund tests for the not-yet-existent Common Core standards.
2010: Obama's Secretary of Education routinely expressed a fondness for Tennessee — one of the first two states to which Obama's administration awarded federal Race to the Top funds when it unveiled the program in 2010, making it a model of Obama's education agenda.
2012: Obama’s reforms impact 46 states, working directly with governors to improve schools.
2013: Obama proposes re-equipping high schools to train students for jobs immediately.
2014: Obama expands Race to the Top to include pre-K availability for all children. Obama signed the Child Care and Development Block Grant of 2014, authorizing funds for education programs and work support for low-income families. ConnCAN, the first chapter of 50CAN, pressured Connecticut legislators to adopt Obama’s Race to the Top program, which emphasized Common Core standards and teacher evaluations based on student achievement.
2015: Obama advocates for lowering the cost of community college to zero. Obama allocates $4.3 billion to induce states to expand charter schools.
2016: former U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan joined Emerson Collective which funded the Biden Administration gun violence collaborative with the Joyce Foundation, George Soros' Open Society Foundation, and others.
2016: Obama pushes for universal pre-K and expanded computer science classes.
2016
TennesseeCAN, an offshoot of national pro-voucher group 50CAN, collaborates with other groups to elect pro-voucher candidates in Tennessee.
The Walton Family Foundation provides $150,000 to 50CAN to elect five pro-voucher candidates and maintain the school choice majority in the state legislature.
Additional funds ($160,000) from private donors, including Jim Walton and Memphis-based Hyde Family Foundation, flow through 50CAN to TennesseeCAN.
Tennesseans for Student Success, closely aligned with TennesseeCAN, emerges as a key spender, raising $16 million since its founding in 2014.
2018
50CAN registers as a non-profit corporation in Tennessee, previously operating under names like PACE Education Strategies and StudentsFirst Tennessee.
2019
Bill Lee elected Governor of Tennessee, advancing a state-funded school voucher program.
2020
January-May: Chelsea Crawford serves as Assistant Commissioner of Communications and Engagement for the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE).
June: Chelsea Crawford is promoted to Chief of Staff at TDOE, serving under Commissioner Penny Schwinn. This role includes significant involvement in the COVID-19 response and the TISA steering committee.
Bill Lee appoints Penny Schwinn as Commissioner of Education. Schwinn’s background includes connections to Chiefs for Change, an education advocacy group started in 2010 as an affiliate of former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush’s Foundation for Excellence in Education, and education reform initiatives funded by organizations tied to the Gates Foundation and other left-leaning philanthropies.
2021
TennesseeCAN’s Executive Director Victor Evans confirms the organization uses funds from Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos’ Rethink K-12 Education Models grant to advocate for direct payments to families for tutoring and other educational expenses. Tennessee receives the full $20 million grant.
2022
Tennesseans for Student Success—funded by undisclosed donors and affiliated with TennesseeCAN—supports Governor Bill Lee’s reelection campaign and defeats two Republican incumbents opposing vouchers and charter schools.
2024
March: South by Southwest (SXSW) Education features seminars funded by Stand Together Trust, an initiative linked to Americans for Prosperity and the Charles Koch Foundation. Participants include representatives from 50CAN, the US Department of Education, the Gates Foundation, the American Library Association, and the Aspen Institute.
April: Chelsea Crawford becomes Executive Director of TennesseeCAN after serving as Chief of Staff at TDOE until May
2024.
Key Organizational and Individual Connections:
TennesseeCAN and 50CAN:
TennesseeCAN is an offshoot of 50CAN, founded by Marc Porter Magee, a career activist for center-left organizations.
50CAN receives funding from the Walton Family Foundation, Gates Foundation, and other major donors tied to progressive education reform.
50CAN Action Fund supports pro-voucher candidates and policies nationwide, leveraging funds from affluent donors like Mike Bloomberg and Reed Hastings.
Connections to Barack Obama and Bill Ayers:
The Joyce Foundation, a funder of 50CAN and other education reform initiatives, was chaired by Barack Obama from 1994 to 2002. Ellen S. Alberding, the Joyce Foundation’s President, continues its focus on racial equity and economic mobility.
Bill Ayers co-authored the Chicago Annenberg Challenge proposal, which Obama chaired from 1995 to 1999. Ayers’ connections to radical activism draw scrutiny from conservative critics. Obama and Ayers also served on the same charitable boards, and a fundraiser for Obama’s 1995 Illinois state Senate run was held at Ayers’ home.
ConnCAN, the first chapter of 50CAN, pressured Connecticut legislators to adopt Obama’s Race to the Top program, which emphasized Common Core standards and teacher evaluations based on student achievement.
Steven Quinn, State Outreach Director at GeorgiaCAN, previously worked as a Field Organizer for Obama’s 2012 re-election campaign, reflecting the grassroots organizing ties within 50CAN’s network.
Bill Lee’s Appointments and Connections:
Bill Lee appointed Penny Schwinn as Commissioner of Education, placing her at the center of Tennessee’s education reform efforts. Schwinn’s background includes ties to Chiefs for Change and Gates Foundation-supported initiatives.
Chelsea Crawford, appointed under Schwinn’s leadership, held significant roles influencing policy decisions like TISA and COVID-19 mandates.
Through these appointments, Bill Lee’s administration connects to organizations like 50CAN, the Walton Family Foundation, and the Gates Foundation, facilitating the influence of progressive education reform networks.
Chelsea Crawford and Penny Schwinn:
Crawford’s roles at TDOE during Schwinn’s tenure connected her to major policy decisions, including TISA and COVID-19 mandates.
Schwinn’s association with Chiefs for Change ties her to the Aspen Institute, funded by the Gates Foundation and the Open Society Foundation.
Funding Sources and Strategies:
50CAN and affiliated groups utilize donor-concealing mechanisms to influence state education policy. Examples include:
Walton Family Foundation: Direct payments to 50CAN for advocacy. Marc Sternberg, K-12 Education Program Director, expressed gratitude to President Obama for emphasizing education as a key opportunity in 2016.
Gates Foundation: Support for small schools and decentralization reforms. Obama delivered a keynote at a Gates Foundation event in 2017, praising their global development efforts.
Hyde Family Foundation: In 2009, alongside other philanthropists, the Hyde Family Foundation and Gates Foundation provided up to $90 million to Shelby County Schools (formerly Memphis City Schools) to create a national model for great teaching. Combined with a federal grant from the Obama administration, $184 million was invested in recruiting, developing, and retaining teaching talent. Despite overhauling support systems for teachers, student achievement remained stagnant, and teachers expressed mixed feelings about the changes.
Joyce Foundation: Grants to progressive causes, including reducing school sizes and creating union-driven initiatives.
Broader Implications:
Decentralization of Schools: Progressive strategies supported by Gates and Joyce Foundations align with policies pushed by 50CAN and its affiliates.
Educational Advocacy Networks: Organizations like 50CAN and TennesseeCAN serve as intermediaries for influential donors, shaping state and national education policy.
Left-Wing Ideology in Education: Connections between these networks and figures like Bill Ayers and Barack Obama.
Through key appointments, funding flows, and policy initiatives, the Bill Lee administration has facilitated the influence of progressive networks in Tennessee’s education system. Individuals like Chelsea Crawford and Penny Schwinn, seemingly disconnected from overt political agendas, are central to this nexus, linking state policies to far-left organizations and donors.
