MILWAUKEE, Wis. — Two teachers are coming forward with safety concerns about their jobs at one Milwaukee Public School.
You may remember in March, TMJ4 told you about a K5 student at Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning (WCLL) who was forced to vape in the school bathroom.
After that story aired, teachers from WCLL reached out to TMJ4's Jenna Rae. They're remaining anonymous for fear of retaliation.
**We want to warn you, some of the content you're about to read and see is disturbing.**
THE TEACHERS' PERSPECTIVE
As summer break heats up, many are off relaxing. However, for these MPS teachers, they're spending their summer in therapy.
"You feel defeated," one teacher said.
"I had to go out and seek professional help because I didn't like feeling that angry, resentful feeling towards anybody," the other teacher echoed.
Both of these teachers worked at WCLL, a K4 through 12th grade school just west of downtown Milwaukee.
Watch: Milwaukee teachers reveal disturbing conditions at public school
"I had a strong, strong passion to teach, but things changed. Working at WCLL, my blood pressure changed, I Just had a mental break," one teacher said.
"To go to therapy, to feel enraged, to have parents, children being bullied. You take all of it and you just pray that somebody is going to listen," another teacher explained.
These teachers said no one's listening to their concerns, and it's why they contacted TMJ4's Jenna Rae.
ONGOING FIGHTS
"There is an ongoing safety concern whereas a teacher, a parent, safety, someone is going to get hurt. Myself, I have seen on the floor wrestling, punching, hitting, slamming heads on lockers. This is the stuff that I've actually witnessed myself," the teacher added.
One teacher, with permission from the child's parent, showed us this photo that's below. It's of a student who was jumped by other students, inside a classroom, that came out covered in blood.
"They have no respect for you and all you try to do is teach," one teacher said.
"Teachers have been hit trying to teach, having pencils thrown at them while they're teaching, having books thrown at them while they're teaching. My colleagues are afraid. We are afraid to teach. It becomes an art of survival at the end of the day," another teacher explained.
911 CALLS TO MPS SCHOOLS
TMJ4 requested all 911 calls to every single MPS building over the last three years.
911 records show Milwaukee Police were called to WCLL 73 times this school year, putting WCLL in the district's top 10 schools with the most police calls.
It was also an increase in calls from the previous two school years.
Below is an interactive map of every MPS school in the district. You can find a school and see how many times police have been called each school over the last three school years.
DRUG USE AND LACK OF ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION
However, fighting and aggression isn't the only concern.
"There's students that have gone in, in the little K4s and K5s, they've gone into the bathroom and they say 'there's smoke.' Go in, all you smell is weed," one teacher said while showing us photos of marijuana found at school.
"People are just openly smoking [weed] at school," Reporter Jenna Rae asked.
"Yeah, you know, if you go to the bathroom downstairs, all you see is cigarette butts that have been put out on the toilet seats," one teacher explained.
"There's students who are high, high," she emphasized. "Literally high."
Emails show, for months, teachers documented concerns like students being kicked out of class and threatening teachers.
All of which, had been sent to WCLL and MPS administration. Teachers referring to incidents as "recurring patterns."
It's so recurring, WCLL's own principal, Ramona Phillips, has sent emails to all staff saying too many students are being sent to administrators. Emails from Phillips show her telling staff to "call the parent, move students seats, or have a one-on-one talk with them about their behavior."
Some staff says there's a continued lack of support from WCLL admin.
"It's because you're reporting, you're communicating, you're writing, you're emailing about the ongoing, consistent situations. It's either 'I handled it' or 'they got suspended', but it's not resolved," one teacher explained.
"The bottom line is, it [911 calls] has increased, so what are you doing differently or what are you not doing that you should be doing to decrease the police calls," another teacher asked.
It's one of the many questions we tried to take to Principal Phillips.
MPS RESPONDS
Since April 7th, TMJ4 has requested an interview with Phillips on four separate occasions. A spokesperson for the district said Phillips had no availability, and instead sent this statement:
“MPS educators and staff work every day to ensure schools are safe, welcoming, and thriving learning environments. Wisconsin Conservatory of Lifelong Learning is a school community, like so many across Milwaukee and Wisconsin, that is working to address the many social-emotional needs of students. This work takes time and partnership with students, staff, and families. Principal Phillips is in her first year as the school leader and is making progress in building a more positive school culture. While there are challenges that require urgent attention, there are also many positive stories at WCLL and throughout MPS that don't get the attention they deserve.”
A culture where police have been called to WCLL more times this year, than in the last three.
"To live and work in a place like that, is just not American, I would say. No one should live in fear at a place where they work and try to provide a public service to the kids who need it," one teacher said.
"Is that part of the reason why you guys are speaking up," Rae asked.
"Yes," they both responded.
WHAT'S NEXT
After our interview with the teachers, one of them resigned. The other told TMJ4 they don't want to come back to any Milwaukee Public School.
Jenna Rae has investigated several issues within MPS. If there's something you want her to look into, email her at Jenna.Rae@tmj4.com.
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