The Truth About Carolyn Hill & Her BESE Re-Election Bid, Why Big Money Wants Her Gone

The most expensive race in our area right now among the black races is Carolyn Hill vs Jada Lewis. Both educated black women, who appear to want to do good for the children of Louisiana. One is Carolyn Hill who is currently in the fight of her life with $13,000 raised for her re-election bid, vs Jada Lewis and her $1,000,000 backed campaign.

Now the reality is if you pull Jada Lewis’ campaign finance report you will find that she raised over $120,000. However according to The Advocate Lane Grigsby has amassed over $1 million to help make sure that Jada Lewis gets elected.

I wrote a previous article in which I called Jada Lewis a puppet. Some took offense with that, but I can follow the money and see that this is David vs Goliath when it comes to the money in this race. Grigsby has gotten $800,000 from the former Mayor of New York Michael Bloomberg that he can throw at this race. Another $400,000 from the Walton family, the owners of Walmart. One looking at this race on paper when it comes to the money would say it’s some funny business here.

I reached out to Carolyn Hill before I finished this article, which made me start over completely. Hill shared some things with me, that I think you should know. When Hill first ran for this seat 3 years ago, she was in the race for all the right reasons. She saw Lane Grigsby at an event, in which he approached her and asked her to drop out of the race. Hill said, “He told me if I dropped out of the race he would pay off all my debt. I refused. This was during the primary of that election.” She went on to tell me that she received money for her campaign after winning the primary from Lane Grigsby and others trying to see if the money would move her convictions when she got elected. She was running in a mostly black district against an older white former republican. So to those watching the race was in the bag after the primary.

Hill while on the BESE board began to see what was really at stake. The future of Louisiana’s education system and our children. You see what the main goal of guys like Lane Grigsby is to control the money of education. When you talk about public education you’re talking about big business. To the tune of $8.7 BILLION DOLLARS. (I had to put that in all caps so you don’t skip over it.)

Campaign Finance Report for Empower Louisiana Inc from the Louisiana Ethics website.

Everyone has written on this story as far as how much money is pouring into the BESE races, but no one is putting any real perspective. What Grigsby and company are trying to do to Hill is get her out of there because when they called on her to vote a certain way she refused to do so. Grigsby text Hill when she was preparing to vote for the new State Superintendent of schools. Hill said “he asked me to vote for John White. I told him I couldn’t do that. His response was okay.” Now Grigsby and crew are throwing hundreds of thousands of dollars at this race to get her out of office. Mainly if you look at it, for not doing what they wanted her to do.

Hill not only turned down Grigsby, but one of the governors staffers pulled her out of the same BESE meeting and asked her to vote for John White. Hill said, “I told them I can’t do that. I don’t know this man, and I’m not sure he is who is best for the children of the state of Louisiana.” That staffer left, and eventually came back to Hill to ask her again. Her reply was the same.

Senator Mary Landrieu called Hill to ask her to vote in favor of the voucher system. Hill told Sen. Landrieu that she couldn’t do it. The reason she stated was, “because there is no accountability in place for them. The policy doesn’t have any substance in it. It doesn’t say how we are going to hold the schools accountable. We relinquish all power to the state superintendent for all things regarding the vouchers. If the superintendent is in favor of it he shouldn’t have all the power on what happens with those schools. The state legislators said guidelines needed to be put in place. There was no substance to say how we would guide and hold the schools accountable. Most schools that were penalized were minority churches with private schools that were began to accept the voucher students. I simply could not support something that had no real oversight.”

Jada Lewis works at LSU in the engineering department as a dean. The funny thing is, Grigsby gives money to the same department she works in. So what happens to Lewis if she doesn’t vote the way he or those in his circle suggest? Her livelihood is potentially in jeopardy. So when I called Lewis a puppet it’s because he who controls to purse, controls the strings. Lewis has much more money invested in her that Hill ever had.

According to Hill, the main objective is to take over mainly urban schools and privatize education through the charter system. Which isn’t proven to be better for children all the way around. In my opinion charter schools work when they are home grown, not when big business steps in to capitalize off our children. To the tune of over $10,000 per child.

Hill said, “This is not about race or party it’s about control and money. When you think about it, you have some blacks working in the same camp as them. You have some democrats working on the same agenda. It’s about the greed and the money to privatize public education. I’m against common core, because if our children can’t pass the test, you’re setting our children up for failure when you give them tougher test in the PARCC “Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Careers” which is what students have to take to measure their academic growth.  Children take these test and they use the data to build prisons based on the pass of fail rate. The other reason I don’t support common core is because of its implementation. Teachers not having proper professional development. Limited resources and materials, and a lack of support for parents to understand the new concept of common core.  I won’t support it, that won’t happen on my watch.” I asked Hill if she could say something to our readers what she would say and she said the following:

Carolyn Hill Campaign Flyer

“The actions occurring in the current BESE District 8 election have been extremely disappointing to me and many constituents in my district. The fact that some are willing to go to any and every extent to win an election, while using our innocent children as political pawns is disheartening.  There is a collective of several individuals and special interest groups that believe our kids and our communities are for sale. They are funneling hundreds of thousands of dollars in advertisements for their choice candidate. Someone who is directly aligned with the privatization of our schools and will only perpetuate bad education policy in our state. Their actions are at an all-time low by attempting to defame my character through personal attacks – but I won’t be moved. For the record, just as we teach our kids, I too have a zero tolerance for bullying,  I will not break to political pressure, nor will I  allow money  or political influence to compromise my principles or beliefs. The people of this state are smart, they recognize the games that are being played at the expense of our children, and this MUST stop. Now more than ever, I need your support and your vote. Even though I cannot begin to compete financially with the money that’s being poured into this race on my opponents behalf, what I can do is continue to lead with conviction and continue putting our children first.  I am living proof that education is the solution to poverty and I know that high-quality educational opportunities are the key to more vibrant and sustainable communities. Please continue to keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I continue to fight for our children and advocate for what’s right.”

The reality of this race is, that Carolyn Hill is the woman for the job. With Hill we know who and what we get. With Jada Lewis, we are looking at a candidate that white people in high places, from all over the country have pour money into. Those people are going to call for a return on their investment. Ask yourself this question, who would dump millions of dollars into elections, in other states, if there was nothing for them on the back end? No one. Lewis is a puppet, even if she doesn’t know she’s one. We as people need to make sure that Hill is taken care of, because she has taken care of our children by fighting for them. Her livelihood should be secured, and her future in motion at all times. If people will spend millions to keep you out of office, they will do whatever to try and break her. She needs to have the support of the people not just on election day, but every day after.

Goliath was bigger than David. He was stronger than David. Just like Jada Lewis’ budget. It was five smooth stones that David picked up, but it only took one. You can be that one vote that is needed to send Carolyn Hill back to her BESE seat. I urge you to please get out and vote for this woman. Her heart is in it for our children. I have a 5 year old little girl in public school here in Baton Rouge. I don’t want Michael Bloomberg and the Walton family deciding the future of her education. I think that decision is better left up to you and I. If you have never shared or reposted anything I’ve written before, this is the one I ask you to share. We have the power of our voice and our vote, that can’t be stopped with money for advertising.

Comment from Woody Jenkins on Facebook to Carolyn Hill

I’ll leave you with a Facebook comment from Woody Jenkins on Hills Facebook page:

“I reside in your district, and everyday my mailbox is being bombarded by large, expensive full color postcards with attack messages directed against you. I see that much of these attacks are from anonymous out of state entities, who are making every kind of ridiculous attack against you. I think this is a disgrace. Somebody is trying to buy this election and take the BESE board away from the citizens of Louisiana. I appreciate your hard work on the BESE board, and although we don’t agree all the time, I feel you are making decisions using your honest judgment about what is best for our children. I shutter to think what will happen if these out of state big money interests get further control of our schools and our education system. I hate the feds trying to take control of our state, and I hate big money out of state interests trying to do the same thing. Hopefully, Louisiana people of all parties, races and philosophies will agree that we the people of Louisiana will govern our schools — not people from outside Louisiana.” 

If Woody Jenkins can reach across the aisle to speak up for Carolyn Hill, surely we can do our part to make sure she gets back in office.