Even though Milwaukee & Dane counties enjoy a small MAGA population density, teachers working here often endure a barrage of verbal assaults and attacks by right wing talk radio stations that amplify the hatred towards teachers. For the past 35 years, public school teachers have been firmly in the cross hairs of the right wing radio hosts whose original content is re-broadcast 24/7 on the 81 right wing talk radio stations across Wisconsin.
For every Republican politician in Wisconsin, the #1 key to election victory is attacking public schools, their teachers, and teachers’ families. Bolstered by right wing talk radio shows based in Milwaukee and Madison, Republican politicians throughout Wisconsin benefit by hatred for public school teachers promoted by the large AM talk radio stations in Milwaukee and Madison.
During a monitoring study a few years ago, in a two week period right wing radio hosts based in Milwaukee & Madison called Wisconsin teachers, “crybaby whiners, goons, scum of the earth, lazy fat pigs, jackasses, incompetent pigs, parasites, moochers, leeches, fat lazy bitches, money grubbing whores, dumb morons, manure brained twits, liberal hacks, indoctrinators, pedophiles, groomers, and child molesters”.
These verbal attacks are STRONGLY SUPPORTED by the radio station advertisers that include many of Wisconsin’s largest businesses. These right wing MAGA supporting talk radio hosts profess that their advertisers; car dealers, furniture stores, landscaping firms to name just a few, LOVE having their product promoted during segments ripping public schools and teachers.
Thanks to Act 10, every teacher in the Milwaukee and Madison radio markets goes to school knowing that day could be the final day of their career if they are personally targeted by one of the right wing radio jocks during an "Attack a Teacher" segment. These segments often begin with an inside "tip" from a "concerned parent" or high school student.
Several years ago, one such "tip" cost a suburban English teacher her job. She omitted writing down “Fox News” as an acceptable citation source during a classroom brainstorming session. For several days, she was denigrated on-air by several radio hosts, and was ultimately FIRED on the air by the Superintendent of her school district. Same for another teacher who was publicly humiliated and then terminated after a parent email complaining about her teaching style.
Since 2011 when Act 10 wiped out all fair dismissal protections for Wisconsin teachers, numerous Wisconsin teachers have been publicly humiliated and terminated on live AM radio by Superintendents that bow to the "Fire That Teacher" demands of right wing AM radio.
Wisconsin teachers are the only teachers in America that could lose their jobs by AM radio talk show hosts acting as Judge, Jury, and Executioner by blowing up a huge controversy, often on the basis of an unsubstantiated allegation, and demanding that the Superintendent fire the teacher LIVE on the Air. This is the result of Governor Walker & the Republican Dictatorship that rules Wisconsin wiping out employment protections that teachers have in every other state in America.
On several occasions since 2011, Republican AM radio jocks have used their shows to orchestrate violent attacks on teachers. In August 2011, several right wing talk radio hosts in the Milwaukee area called upon their listeners to attend a New Berlin school board meeting and pelt the “crybaby teachers” with pacifiers. One host told his audience that he wanted to see news pictures of teachers with “half dollar size welts” on their faces from being hit by pacifiers.
The hundred or so teachers in attendance were overwhelmed by the 500+ angry ginned up mob of right wing radio listeners that showed up with bags of pacifiers. As the first New Berlin teacher began to address the school board, hundreds of pacifiers rained down on the teachers. As the teachers fled for their safety through the hail of pacifiers, many teachers were spit on and even vomited on by the wildly cheering mob that began chanting, "Stand With Walker" as the terrorized teachers ran for their lives! Once out in the parking lot, many teachers found that their cars had been vandalized as well.
A few months later, teachers were again targeted by several right wing radio hosts for their acceptance of a free gift box of spices from Penzey’s Spices. Wanting to boost teacher morale after months of vicious Republican attacks, owner Bill Penzey offered a free gift box of to every Wisconsin teacher. Inside each box was a “Love Teachers” bumper sticker.
Republicans & their AM talk radio allies were outraged over any kindness extended to public school teachers. Several talk radio hosts around Wisconsin created “contests” encouraging listeners to vandalize teachers’ cars with the “Love Teachers” bumper stickers by ripping off the windshield wipers or keying the sides. Several hundred teachers’ vehicles were damaged before word got out to remove those bumper stickers.
Even though you will be teaching in one of the most progressive counties in Wisconsin, you still cannot escape the often extreme hatred of public school teachers that is endemic to the Republican Dictatorship that has destroyed Wisconsin's once #1 Public Schools and now controls every aspect of teachers’ lives in Wisconsin.
