District Info
Career Prospect: 
Likely a Good Place to Work

Dane County

County Seat: 
Madison
WCA District: 
Southern

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.

Political Environment
2016 Election: 
23% Trump
2018 Election: 
23% Walker
2020 Election: 
23% Trump
COVID Rate: 
80% Fully Vaccinated

 

 

Money Stolen From This District's Taxpayers to Fund School Vouchers Across Wisconsin
Latest Available Data: 2022-23 School Year: 
$21,837
The Republican Dictatorship that rules 'Wisconsin has underfunded public schools since 2011 while giving the largest funding increases in America to private & parochial voucher schools.
Average Teacher Salaries
2010-2011 Average Salary: 
$50,288
2022-23 Projected Salary at 26.3% Inflation Rate: 
$63,514
2022-23 Average Salary: 
$65,350
Average Teacher Salary Performance
WERC Inflation Rate Since July 2011 : 
26.3
Real Salary Change: 
30.0%
2022-23 Purchasing Power Change : 
$1,836

This school district is located in Dane County, which historically has voted around 80% for Democrats and is the fastest growing county in Wisconsin. Buoyed by the city of Madison and the University of Wisconsin, Dane County is one of the most desirable counties in Wisconsin to live in.

Teachers in Dane County school districts earn some of the highest salaries in Wisconsin. The average teacher salaries for Dane County school districts range from $52, 546 to $65, 472 as of the 2022-23 school year. Like every Wisconsin county, some school districts are really great places to work while the school boards in other districts have used Act 10 to make their districts really lousy places to teach.

Teachers in the Waunakee Community school district earn one of the highest average salaries in Dane County at $65,350. More importantly, the school board prioritizes inflation-beating raises for teachers with pay raises totaling 30% since July 2011-which were above the inflation rate. Even though the pay increase for the Superintendent was nearly 45%, which was 50% higher than the teacher pay increase, we rated this district as Likely a Good Place to Teach.

Estimated Average Teacher Income Loss Since 2011 From Act 10
$34,698

The Republican Dictatorship that has Ruled Wisconsin Since 2011 has underfunded public schools by over 4 Billion dollars in order to provide massive tax cuts to the wealthiest individual taxpayers and big business and manufacturers by severely reducing teacher salaries & benefits.

Superintendent Earnings
2010-2011 Superintendent Salary: 
$138,047
2022-23 Projected Salary at 26.3% Inflation Rate : 
$174,353
2022-23 Superintendent Salary: 
$199,562
Superintendent Salary Performance
WERC Inflation Rate Since July 2011 : 
26.3
Real Salary Change: 
44.6%
2022-23 Purchasing Power Change: 
$25,209
Ten Year Teacher Salaries
Median 2020-2021 First Year Teacher Salary: 
$0
Projected Ten Year Salary in 2020-21: 
$0
Median 2020-2021 Ten Year Teacher Salary: 
$0
Ten Year Teacher Salary Performance
10 Year WERC Inflation Rate: 
26.3
Real Salary Change : 
0.0%
Real Purchasing Power Change*: 
$0

Teach in this district?

Sick of watching your School Board give big raises to the Superintendent while teachers get scraps?

This year, send a message to the school board that teachers are as important as the Superintendent.

 

We hope that you will use the information on our website to find a better district or State to teach in.

 

However:

 

If you plan to return to your current district, HOLD your signed contract until June 12-14 before returning it.            (all Wisconsin contracts due Saturday June 15)

 

Make your district commit to a LARGE raise IF they want your contract returned earlier.

 

If EVERY Wisconsin teacher in Districts like this one united in HOLDING their signed contracts until 3 days before the deadline, we could accomplish better raises for EVERYONE by compressing the time school districts have to recruit and sign teachers to staff schools for SY 2024-25.

 

Stand Together!!!  Rise Together!!!

Just by Following the Rules of the Republican Dictatorship that Controls  Wisconsin.