- Andy Ogles has consistently called for eliminating or defunding the U.S. Department of Education, favoring local and state control over education policy (Tennessean, Columbia Daily Herald, Leaf-Chronicle).
- He has frequently criticized federal involvement as promoting "woke principles" and undermining basic educational skills, arguing that Tennessee should have autonomy in setting curricula and standards (Daily Herald, Tennessean).
- Ogles advocates for parental rights and local decision-making, opposing state or federal oversight in issues such as curriculum content, COVID-19 response, and student well-being checks (Daily Herald, Tennessee Star).
- He has criticized both state and federal education officials, including calls for the removal of Tennessee’s education commissioner, and claims that current leadership does not reflect local values (Daily Herald).
- Ogles’s hardline stance on federal education policy could be seen as a vulnerability, as critics argue that abolishing the Department of Education may jeopardize federal funding and civil protections for disadvantaged and disabled students (Tennessean, Columbia Daily Herald).
August 2021: Ogles Criticized Education Policy And Curriculum In Tennessee According to Tennessee Star, "At a forum, Williamson County based Moms For Liberty presented some of the grade K-6 supplemental instructional materials, including a book named George vs. George [...] the book paints the bad guy as George Washington and introduces the act of rape to young children, Ogles reported to the shocked audience." [Tennessee Star, 8/2/21]
August 2021: Ogles Criticized Governor Lee's Response To COVID-19 According to WKRN, "In the proclamation, Mayor Ogles criticized Gov. Lee’s 'indecisiveness and half measures' which he said, 'have subjugated parents and their children to out of control school boards and superintendents, liberal Mayors and a complicit Commissioner of Education.'" [WKRN, 8/11/21]
2022: Andy Ogles Opposed Defunding the FBI, Supported Defunding the Department of Education In an interview with WKRN, Andy Ogles said, "If you are going to defund an agency, you are going to defund the Department of Education and let’s give that authority back to the states. So, we have to get the agendas the liberal agendas out of politics out of our schools out of the workplace." [Interview - Andy Ogles with WKRN, 9/1/22]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Called For The Removal Of Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles requested Gov. Bill Lee remove Commissioner Penny Schwinn in a Facebook post on his mayoral page this week. 'Simply stated, she does not represent our values and has no business educating our children,' Ogles said in the post. 'I formally call on Governor Bill Lee to remove Commissioner Penny Schwinn.'" [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 9/13/20]
June 2022: Andy Ogles Opposed Federal Involvement In Education During 5th Congressional District Debate According to Daily Herald, "Ogles also doubled down against the federal government's involvement in education, saying the department of education has traded reading and arithmetic for 'woke' principles, citing many children are reading below grade level, including children in Maury County. 'They destroyed public education. We have to get D.C. out of Tennessee,' Ogles said." [Daily Herald, 6/29/22]
June 2022: Andy Ogles Was Recognized Among Top Debate Performers By Multiple Attendees According to Daily Herald, "Ogles, Harwell and Winstead stood out from the pack. Mayor Ogles did a phenomenal job. Education stood out to me because that is very important and America first values." [Daily Herald, 6/29/22]
2022: Andy Ogles Opposed Federal Involvement In Education At Maury County GOP Debate According to Columbia Daily Herald, "Ogles also doubled down against the federal government's involvement in education, saying the department of education has traded reading and arithmetic for 'woke' principles, citing many children are reading below grade level, including children in Maury County. 'They destroyed public education. We have to get D.C. out of Tennessee,' Ogles said." [Columbia Daily Herald, 7/5/22]
July 2022: Andy Ogles Opposed Federal Government Involvement In Education At 5th Congressional District Debate According to Daily Herald, "Ogles also doubled down against the federal government's involvement in education, saying the department of education has traded reading and arithmetic for 'woke' principles, citing many children are reading below grade level, including children in Maury County. 'They destroyed public education. We have to get D.C. out of Tennessee,' Ogles said." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 7/5/22]
2022: Ogles Opposed Federal Involvement In Education According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles also doubled down against the federal government's involvement in education, saying the department of education has traded reading and arithmetic for 'woke' principles, citing many children are reading below grade level, including children in Maury County. 'They destroyed public education. We have to get D.C. out of Tennessee,' Ogles said." [Daily Herald, 7/6/22]
Ogles Focused On Border Wall And Eliminating Federal Education Department During Primary According to Tennessean, “During the primary, Ogles focused on issues like finishing the border wall and his conservative views toward the government, like eliminating the federal education department.” [Tennessean, 10/23/22]
Ogles Advocated Finishing A Border Wall And Abolishing Federal Education Department In 2022 Primary According to The Leaf-Chronicle, "During the primary, Ogles focused on issues like finishing a border wall and his conservative views toward the government, like eliminating the federal education department." [Leaf-Chronicle, 10/24/22]
2022: Ogles Advocated For Eliminating The Federal Education Department And Finishing A Border Wall According to Tennessean, "During the primary, Ogles focused on issues like finishing a border wall and his conservative views toward the government, like eliminating the federal education department." [Tennessean, 10/28/22]
November 2022: Andy Ogles Favored Local Control Of Schooling Over Federal Department Of Education Oversight According to Leaf-Chronicle, "Ogles told reporters on election night he wants to get rid of the education department because he favors local control of schooling, a thought many in Nashville might agree with, but not in the way he intended. 'I know I'm a tough cup of coffee for some,' Ogles said. 'People in California don't want me deciding on how they run their schools, but the flip side is also true. We have a right in Tennessee to make choices in our community.'" [Leaf-Chronicle, 11/23/22]
2022: Ogles Supported Local Control Of Schools And Favored Eliminating The Department Of Education According to The Daily News Journal, "Ogles told reporters on election night he wants to get rid of the education department because he favors local control of schooling." [Daily News Journal, 11/23/22]
2022: Ogles Pledged To Abolish U.S. Department Of Education And Impeach Biden, Harris, And Mayorkas According to The Tennessean, "On the campaign trail in 2022, Ogles pledged to abolish the U.S. Department of Education, fire IRS agents, and called for the impeachment of President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas." [Tennessean, 7/24/24]
Ogles Campaigned On Abolishing The Department Of Education, Firing IRS Agents, And Impeachment In 2022 According to Columbia Daily Herald (Tennessee), "On the campaign trail in 2022, Ogles pledged to abolish the U.S. Department of Education, fire IRS agents, and called for the impeachment of President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas." [Columbia Daily Herald (Tennessee), 7/26/24]
2024: Andy Ogles Repeatedly Committed To Dismantling U.S. Department Of Education According to Columbia Daily Herald (Tennessee), "While her opponent has repeatedly committed to dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, Abolfazli sees the agency playing a part in providing pivotal funding and a role guaranteeing civil protections for disabled and disadvantaged students." [Columbia Daily Herald (Tennessee), 9/19/24]
2024: Ogles Repeatedly Committed To Dismantling U.S. Department Of Education According to Tennessean, "While her opponent has repeatedly committed to dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, Abolfazli sees the agency playing a part in providing pivotal funding and a role guaranteeing civil protections for disabled and disadvantaged students." [Tennessean, 9/20/24]
2022: Ogles Advocated For Defunding The Federal Department Of Education According to Tennessean, "During the campaign, Ogles, Rose, and Green have all advocated for defunding the federal Department of Education, for instance." [Tennessean, 11/22/22]
2022: Andy Ogles Advocated For Defunding The Federal Department Of Education During His Campaign According to Leaf-Chronicle, "During the campaign, Ogles, Rose, and Green have all advocated for defunding the federal Department of Education, for instance." [Leaf-Chronicle, 11/23/22]
2022: Ogles Advocated For Defunding The Federal Department Of Education During Campaign According to The Daily News Journal, "During the campaign, Ogles, Rose, and Green have all advocated for defunding the federal Department of Education, for instance." [Daily News Journal, 11/23/22]
November 2022: Ogles Advocated For Defunding The Federal Department Of Education According to The Daily Herald, "During the campaign, Ogles, Rose, and Green have all advocated for defunding the federal Department of Education, for instance." [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/30/22]
November 8, 2022: Ogles Commented On Education Department At Election Night Watch Party According to The Daily Herald, 'Ogles told reporters on election night he wants to get rid of the education department because he favors local control of schooling, a thought many in Nashville might agree with, but not in the way he intended.' [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/30/22]
2022: Ogles Advocated Defunding The Federal Department Of Education During Campaign According to Columbia Daily Herald, "During the campaign, Ogles, Rose, and Green have all advocated for defunding the federal Department of Education, for instance." [Columbia Daily Herald, 11/30/22]
August 2023: Andy Ogles Called For Eliminating Department Of Education And CFPB According to Columbia Daily Herald, "He also supports 'getting rid of' 'alphabet-letter' federal departments such as the U.S. Department of Education in order to return educational decisions to states as well as do away with the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau." [Columbia Daily Herald, 8/17/23]
2022: Ogles Stated He Wants Local Control Of Schooling And Elimination Of Education Department According to Tennessean, "Ogles told reporters on election night he wants to get rid of the education department because he favors local control of schooling, a thought many in Nashville might agree with, but not in the way he intended. 'I know I'm a tough cup of coffee for some,' Ogles said. 'People in California don't want me deciding on how they run their schools, but the flip side is also true. We have a right in Tennessee to make choices in our community.'" [Tennessean, 11/22/22]
2022: Ogles Stated On Election Night That Tennessee Should Decide Its Own Education Policies According to The Daily News Journal, "'I know I'm a tough cup of coffee for some,' Ogles said. 'People in California don't want me deciding on how they run their schools, but the flip side is also true. We have a right in Tennessee to make choices in our community.'" [Daily News Journal, 11/23/22]
November 8, 2022: Ogles Stated His Views On Local Control Of Schooling According to The Daily Herald, '"I know I'm a tough cup of coffee for some," Ogles said. "People in California don't want me deciding on how they run their schools, but the flip side is also true. We have a right in Tennessee to make choices in our community."' [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 11/30/22]
2022: Ogles Told Reporters He Favored Local Control Over Education Policy According to Columbia Daily Herald, "Ogles told reporters on election night he wants to get rid of the education department because he favors local control of schooling [...] 'People in California don't want me deciding on how they run their schools, but the flip side is also true. We have a right in Tennessee to make choices in our community.'" [Columbia Daily Herald, 11/30/22]
July 2020: Andy Ogles Supported Students' Return To In-Person Classes Amid Pandemic According to Daily Herald, "Maury County Mayor Andy Ogles shared his avid support in students' return to the classroom amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. 'Yes we need to open schools,' Ogles said Sunday during a daily live update broadcast from his office at the Maury County Courthouse." [Daily Herald, 7/13/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Continued To Advocate For Schools To Remain Open According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles said he continued to advocate that schools should remain open." [The Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 9/17/20]
2020: Andy Ogles Criticized School Closures For Disrupting Families And Economy According to The Daily Herald, '"I think we are doing more harm than good by closing our schools," Ogles said. "You are disrupting families, you are disrupting our economy."' [The Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 9/17/20]
August 2020: Ogles Called for Parental Autonomy According to Daily Herald, '"I don't need the state to raise my children," Ogles continued. "Keep your business out of mine and I will keep mine out of yours. It is that simple."' [Daily Herald, 8/14/20]
August 2020: Andy Ogles Opposed State Plan For Child Well-Being Checks According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles previously said he was concerned about who would be conducting the well-being checks. He said requirements for the role include being a minimum age of 20 and having gone through a training program to carry out the statewide survey of student's health at home and in school. 'This is unacceptable,' Ogles said in August. 'You have lost your mind to try to force this Trojan horse against the people of Tennessee.'" [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 9/13/20]
September 2020: Andy Ogles Claimed Victory After State Withdrew Child Well-Being Checks Plan According to The Daily Herald, "Ogles described the letter as a victory. 'The liberal and Orwellian child well-being checks plan has been stopped,' Ogles said in a social media post. 'This ill-contrived program is a Trojan Horse assault on privacy and parental rights.'" [Daily Herald (Columbia, Tennessee), 9/13/20]