11-12-25 - More Than One Thousand AZ Teachers Have Quit Since July And John Is Taking Partial Credit For Telling Them To Quit For So Long Until Power Shifts Back To Them

Summary

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Holmberg's Morning Sickness – Arizona Teachers Quitting & Taking "Credit"

Episode Date: Nov. 12, 2025
Main Hosts: John Holmberg, Brady Bogen, Bret Vesely, Dick Toledo

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Overview

This episode pivots from the usual sharp-witted banter and local Arizona flavor to a heated, insightful discussion around the ongoing crisis in Arizona’s public education system: more than 1,000 teachers have quit since July. John Holmberg, always fearless with his opinions, both lampoons and laments this trend—claiming partial "credit" for his longstanding advice for teachers to quit. The conversation weaves through causes for the exodus, the changing dynamics between teachers, parents, and students, and larger cultural consequences. Genuine frustration and black humor keep the discussion both weighty and wickedly entertaining.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Show Updates & Listener Interactions

• [01:19] Shout-outs to listeners, birthdays, and app download antics get things started—even recounting a listener's hospital stay inspiring nurses in Ohio to become fans.
• [03:30] John updates listeners on co-host Bret Vesely’s father's recent passing; reflects on personal stories and the show's community-feel.

2. Humorous Asides on Family, Parenting, and Drinking

• [06:30] In typical HMS fashion, John and crew riff on a recent study indicating teenage binge drinkers end up making more money as adults, poking fun at the anxieties of modern parenting.

• [07:10] Quote – John Holmberg:
  “Binge drinking is like a parent's worst nightmare. You got a kid who's drunk and just know that that's CEO training, essentially.” (07:10)

• [08:57] Brady and others share stories about kids coming home drunk for the first time. The crew tongue-in-cheek suggests that overprotectiveness may, in fact, backfire.

3. The Arizona Teacher Exodus: “I’m Taking Credit!”

[13:48] – [18:41]

• John pivots to the headline topic: over 1,000 Arizona teachers quitting since July.

• Holmberg’s Self-Proclaimed Influence:
  John jokes (with underlying seriousness) that he’s taken part in the exodus by consistently advising teachers to quit until the balance of power shifts.

  • Quote – John Holmberg:
    “I’d like to tip its cap to the 1,055 teachers who have quit their jobs since July. I like to take credit for that. I’ve been telling public school teachers to quit their job.” (13:48)

• Why Are Teachers Leaving?

  • John: “They have been stripped of their power because parents don’t question their kids anymore. They question the teacher first. Quit your jobs immediately.” (14:29)
  • The crew discusses the impossible expectations placed on teachers by both parents and school “Bobs” (administrators).
  • Teachers’ authority eroded, continually forced to accommodate individual education programs (IEPs) for nearly every student.
    • Brady: “Try being a teacher when you’ve got 26 kids that all have an IEP that you have to address.” (15:51)

• On Parental Shifts:

  • John: “When your kid comes home with Ds… that’s your job! They hate your kids. And your kids are... the parents are now on the side of the kid over the teacher. Used to be the other way.” (15:05 – 15:20)

• On Teacher Pay:

  • Candid about how teaching “has never been a lucrative super job,” and the myth of money as a motivator.
  • Quote – John Holmberg:
    “If you’re doing it for your passion, you’ll stay. But they can’t stand the kids and the parents.” (16:13)

4. Systemic Effects & “Lowering the Requirements”

• [17:00] John acknowledges the legislature is now lowering requirements to be a teacher simply to keep classrooms staffed.
  • Quote – Brady Bogen:
    “Your constant hammering of this has also made the legislature go, 'we need to lower the requirements for teaching.'” (17:08)
  • Now, people can teach before they are certified—further diluting the quality and prestige of the profession.

5. Public vs. Private Schools and the Future

• [18:56] Brief rundown comparing public and private schools—the latter giving teachers slightly more authority to expel problem students, but with minimal pay advantage.
  • John: “If there was one industry I’d like to destroy, it would be the public school system. And I’m doing it one person at a time.” (19:43)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Public Education’s Decline:
  “Congratulations. I feel personally somewhat responsible for helping the teachers all quit their jobs. 1,055 and that number’s going to go up, folks. You should keep doing it.”
  – John Holmberg (18:23)

• On Changing Classroom Dynamics:
  “Used to be there was one bad one per 20, 30 kids… now it’s the other way. Now there’s one good one.”
  – John Holmberg (18:09)

• On Privatization and Teacher Authority:
  “That parent that becomes the thorn in the side—private schools are like, 'you need to move your child.' Kick them out. They let those teachers have some power. I love it.”
  – John Holmberg (19:22)

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Important Timestamps

• [01:19 – 03:30] – Listener shoutouts, community updates, and personal anecdotes.
• [06:30 – 09:44] – Discussion of the binge drinking study and implications for parenting.
• [13:48 – 19:43] – Main segment: Arizona teacher exodus, power dynamics in schools, pay, IEPs, and John’s “mission” to disrupt the public school system.
• [18:56 – 19:56] – Public vs. private school comparison, teacher pensions, and a (morbidly) triumphant note from John on “destroying” the public school system.

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Summary: Tone & Takeaways

Irreverent and refreshingly unsentimental, this episode delivers a scathing critique of the failings in Arizona’s public education, with John Holmberg leading the charge. The hosts’ banter mixes humor, personal experience, and pointed societal criticism—laying blame on shifting parent-teacher dynamics, administrative bloat, and legislative desperation. While Holmberg’s claim of “taking credit” for driving teachers out is tongue-in-cheek, his arguments about teacher working conditions and parental attitudes are clear and forceful: until teachers regain authority, and parents reassess their role, the exodus will continue.

For educators and parents alike, this episode is both a warning and a rallying cry—with plenty of that signature HMS sarcasm.

Transcript

[A]

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[B]

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[C]

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[D]

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[C]

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[A]

No, Larry, if you have an extended service contract, you can use it at any amco.

[C]

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[A]

I'll say Amco has dealership quality rental cars, no hassles and faster service.

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[D]

You've been deceived by an agent of Satan himself. He's evil. Sitting right here.

[A]

Come on.

[B]

No, no, he's not.

[D]

He's not evil. He's just a bit rude. It is. Oh, I gotta do a quick shout out. One of Larry's good friends from growing up here in the city, Tyler Best. It's his birthday and Larry said, say hi to Tyler. Happy, happy birthday to Tyler Best, one of Larry's buddies. They grew up together over there in central Phoenix. Right over there off Central itself. Tyler and Zach. And Larry runs. He has an excellent adventure running the mean streets of the bridal path and all the garbage. This guy said. Donovan says, man, this show, it doesn't get the credit it deserves. I've learned so much from you guys. Like today, for instance, Maine is the best state. All right, that's not Donovan. Come on, then you got this guy. Oh, and then the word for nine o' clock's coming up in A little bit, don't you? I'm take out eight. Hold on. And we're still trying to get you to download apps. We got the guy in Orlando, the dude in North Carolina. Everybody's getting their apps loaded up at their work and having people who aren't even involved just to confuse our overlords on why we have so much stuff. This. This is Sean Rockefeller. He's back in Dayton, Ohio, and he says ended up back in the hospital there. Sean is. He's one listener of the year once, because we've only given it out once, and that was last year. And Sean's blind. Got some junk going on. He says, I ended up back in the hospital with sepsis after my kidney stones and I spent five days there, but do it. In doing so, you now have two nurses at the Miami Valley Hospital of Dayton, Ohio, listening to you. They heard you doing a Dick Cheney, George Bush thing. I was out of it. I don't remember it. But they talked about it and now they listen all the time. Brandon and Tiffany are their names and they've downloaded the app as well. We'll tell them to get the whole hospital to do it. And let's get the whole entire place confused up there in Bossland for us on why Dayton, Orlando and North Carolina have erupted with app downloads. Got him all over the city. People also asking me for updates on Brett. Obviously, if you haven't heard, Brett lost his father a couple of days ago after a little bit of a, you know, I wouldn't call it lengthy, but a battle with cancer. And he. He passed, what, two nights ago in his sleep. And this is John. Thank you for keeping us updated with Brett. Brett is text over. Obviously all the well wishes that are coming through, he is grateful for and thanks, you guys. If you want to say something to him, kind of B vesely B V E S L oh, wait. V e S E L E Y B V E S E L E Y at 98k, said Vaseli Vasily. I always have to call him vessel. Vessel. If you want to email him something nice, he's getting those. And he said, you know, obviously, you know, he expected this. I didn't say why? Did I say you why? V e S E L Y. Oh, did I? Okay, well, whatever it is. V e S E L E Y Not L E Y L Y. Damn it. Just find him and, you know, email me and I'll send it to him. Either way, he says obviously, you know, kind words, expected this, but he's still devastated and, you know, not going through things. Guy says, thanks for keeping us updated with Brett. In memory of Brett's father. Yesterday I disassembled my 1966 Mustang and put the alternator and carburetor in the oven, which is a thing that Brett's dad used to do. He would bake the parts, he would use the oven. Those who don't know Brett's family story, Parents married, had the Brett. Parents divorced. Parents remarried, still have the Brett still have the bread around, can't take it anymore. Divorced parents get back together a third time.

[E]

Separate houses, no need for nuptials.

[A]

That's it.

[E]

Let's just stay together.

[D]

It's going to be together. Your side of the house, my side of the house. But one of the reasons that they had struggles, Brett's mother would try to use the oven, and there were car parts in it and cabinets and everything else the guy would take things apart and put away. It's very funny stories, and I'm sure they're going through that over at Brett's house like crazy. Another thing I wanted to say, our buddy over there at Verlo Mattress, his name is Jonathan and he's a good dude. Ask him about meat. That's all I can tell you. I know that sounds funny, but if you mention Holmberg's morning sickness, he decided, you know, I love you guys so much. Got a Black Friday sale. Just mentioned Homburg's morning sickness. He'll give you 30% off MSRP on all mattress collections. Let's go in there and say, hey, I heard. Heard about you from Holmberg. And he'll give you all sorts. 70% off bed sets for full and queen size. 70%.

[E]

That's good savings.

[D]

You're looking for a bed, this is the place to go. Let's give you a free adjustable base V5 collection or higher. $300 in free accessories with V5 collection or higher mattresses. That's huge. So thank you, Jonathan, for saying I love you back. Wow. So hop on Verlo Mattress and get yourself a whole bunch of that stuff just for liking us and saying my name. And we love the morning sickness. And he'll go, all right, start cutting prices, lasting prices, not for everybody. You go in there, you say, love, I love Beth. That's where he gets his money back. He jacks the price up. He tariffs Beth listeners. That's right. That's exactly right. Brady. I'd like to announ that your parenting skills weren't what they. You weren't as good as you thought. And most Parents also, everything you're doing is pretty much wrong. New study came out that said teenage binge drinkers after a 25 year study find out they end up making a lot more money later in life than kids who didn't drink. Binge drinking is like a parent's worst nightmare. You got a kid who's drunk and just know that that's CEO training. Essentially. When you've got a binge drinker in college, just know that they're not going to live at your house for the rest of their lives. It helps them ease inhibitions. The social lubricant makes them better at social situations at an early age. It makes them fit in because there's more likely more drinkers than there are. Non the most likely explanation to all of the Alcohol is kind of a marker socially and the habit comes with benefits. It also teaches them how to manipulate a situation when they aren't exactly 100%. So when your kid comes home bombed, be a little bit proud. You got one that's probably going to be all right. To prove that liquor can grease the wheel of fortune, the professors and their colleagues spent the last 18 years monitoring studies and drinking habits of 3,000 Norwegian kids age 13. They jumped it all the way up to 31 in the timeline. Those who started hitting the sauce hard in their late teens and early 20s boasted much higher levels of education and income than those who practiced abstinence and minimal boozing. The scientists say there's no doubt there's a correlation here. Statistical findings are quite strong and clearly significant. To illustrate his point, Peterson invoked Oxford University's Bullington Club, an all male drinking organization known for very successful alumni. And they're a drinking group for college. Yeah, I'm a Bullington boy. I'm getting worse by the second.

[F]

I'll speak to that. Because the first time Alex came home, I live with a teetotaler. She didn't do any, didn't drink, smoke anything until she was like almost a senior in college. She was a goody two shoes upon goody two shoes. So when Alex came home drunk the first time.

[D]

Oh, lost her mind.

[F]

School. I didn't tell her about it. And then when she found out about it, she was mad at me and I'm like, listen, you can't relate to him.

[D]

Yeah.

[F]

What he's doing is everything I did in high school.

[D]

Yeah.

[F]

I'm like, I don't know if I'm.

[D]

For it, but she's a teacher, so she's proven the point that you can't have financial success if you didn't guzzle alcohol in college. She's a teacher.

[F]

Exactly.

[E]

Also too late.

[D]

Oh.

[E]

For people that are going, you know, because a lot of times the people that start drinking in college and that's the first time, like I'm outside of.

[D]

The house, they're getting away from their.

[E]

Parents and they fail out of college loads.

[F]

Yeah.

[D]

They can't control it.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

But binge drinking. Experience it on the end. Don't let Brady's recent conversation right there fool you. It's great for your kids. That's all I'm saying.

[F]

I've got other friends who are. They're the friends that if they have a gathering, they'll allow their kids at 15 or so to have like a drink or something if they've got it. But because they're at home.

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[F]

Holmberg's morning sickness and what I told Lisa was as I said, you know, and, and I said this for Alex's sister too. I'd rather have them know what it feels like.

[D]

Yeah.

[F]

Than getting out of the house and not knowing what that feeling is like and being in a situation where you're uncomfortable.

[D]

They're saying. Also it's. It's a way to make kids who are that they're less afraid of trying something that may not be right down the line. Yeah because they know it's wrong. They know it's kind of a thing, but it's sort of also a rite of passage. So they're like, I'm not going to be afraid of this situation. I'm going to tackle it and give it a try. So they're willing to try things that everybody says you can't do, you know, and there's lines to that for sure, but that's one where you're like, hey, you're not supposed to do this. So they give it a try and it gives them a little bit of a, okay, I'm not going to die if I do this. I just need to learn to moderate.

[E]

And that was, you know, as a parent, one of the fears obviously is like, okay, well you can discover it and height. You'll have those decisions to make in high school, like Kirby. But the, the fear is okay. Binge drinking is one thing.

[D]

Sure.

[E]

Then they got to make the decision whether or not they get behind the wheel.

[F]

Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. And they're talk to him about let.

[E]

Alone driving with your teenager.

[D]

Never been easier for a teenager to be a binge drinker than today. Uber Wave Mo.

[E]

But then you have simple that are saying certain age, they don't want their kids Uber.

[F]

Luckily, luckily with Alex, there's been two times he's called me. Yeah, can you come pick me up?

[D]

You have to worry only about Uber and Waymo if they're not drinking. So if they're 11 or 12 or 13 or 14, yeah, sure. But if they get 15, 16, you're like, know what? You should start way mowing when you go out.

[E]

Not by yourself. Yeah, multiple.

[F]

I know parents.

[D]

Waymo's fine. 12 all day long.

[F]

I know parents that are have 12 and 13 year olds that tell their kids if they're, if they're in a Waymo. Well, not a Waymo Uber. Don't they wait to facetime me the entire time?

[D]

Oh, sure, you can get that going.

[F]

You know, so that they know what's going.

[D]

But if you're worried about your kid going out in a Uber but they're going out on a Friday night, you're like, I hope it doesn't drive because it might be drinking. You should probably flip flop that thought.

[F]

Yeah, exactly.

[D]

And think, well, it's probably drinking. I should allow it in an Uber now.

[F]

Yep.

[D]

Also I'd like to say, oh, it's nine o'. Clock. I'll give you the 9:00am code word. Payline. Payline. P A Y L I N E. Payline. One word is the 9:00am Code for your. Take it.

[F]

You're familiar with that?

[D]

Oh, I love the pay line. Pay lines are great. Double top dollar. Anyway, I'd like to say that this show, and I'm taking all the credit for it, would like to tip its cap to the 1055 teachers who have quit their jobs since July. I like to take credit for that. I've been telling public school teachers to qu their job.

[F]

Maricopa county, just Arizona. That would be you.

[D]

Oh, it would be Maricopa. It's Arizona. Okay. 1055 teachers have quit their jobs since July and they're saying, well, they wanted to raise their wages. It's a. It's a bad paying job. It is not. It's always been a bad paying job. It's never been a lucrative super job. The problem is to give the teachers the power back.

[F]

Oh, yeah.

[D]

They have been stripped of their power because parents don't question their kids anymore. They question the teacher first. Quit your jobs immediately. It's terrible. And if they raise wages, maybe a few good ones come back, but for the most part, you're just going to get the B team back up. They're making more money and it's the same thing's going to happen. Quit your jobs and make the parents have to make their kids be better. It's the kids that make them quit.

[F]

The district has a bunch of Bobs.

[D]

Oh, of course it does.

[F]

And so the Bobs are throwing a bunch of these new requirements at teachers this year. Lisa says teaching this year has been harder than it's ever been because it's.

[D]

Because they have to fall in all these parameters to make sure the parents don't lose their minds when their kids are dumb. When your kid comes home with Ds, suddenly you're at the teachers go, what's going on with my kid? And that's your job. They hate your kids. And your kids are. The parents are now on the side of the kid over the teacher. And it used to be the other way. They've never paid teachers any money. It's never been a job you go make money at unless you go to private schools and stuff. And that's what I've encouraged you to do.

[F]

Like we've said in this show before too, the I has run amok.

[D]

I don't know what that is.

[F]

It's individual education program.

[D]

I don't even know what to wear.

[F]

Like when Alex was struggling with tests, you get an individual education program that says, okay, you can have extra time to take the test. You can go take the test in your own.

[D]

That's just to keep parents off the teacher's back.

[F]

Exactly. But try being a teacher when you've got 26 kids that all have an. Have an IEP that you have to address.

[D]

Yeah, it's your kids. They're the problem.

[F]

It's. What it is is it's Brady ordering the grilled cheese at McDonald's 26 times.

[D]

And you're trying 26 different special orders.

[F]

Yes.

[D]

Yeah. My. My point being. You're listening and I appreciate that. Quit your jobs and the number's not high enough. We learned through Covid. Parents don't want their kids in the house. If all the teachers quit, they have to do something about it. Be nicer to the teachers, parents. That's really what they're after. And yes, pay them more money if you can, but don't go robbing it. That's not a job anybody ever said you were going to be super lucrative in. So if you're doing it for your passion, you'll stay. But they can't stand the kids and the parents. When your kid's getting an F, it's your fault. When your kids bad grades, your fault. If your kid's being a dick at school, your fault. The teacher might not be able to handle it, but it's still your fault. You got one of those. That's it. Quit your jobs today. Public school teachers. I don't want to hear you anymore about your marches and your nonsense.

[F]

Can't disagree. My kids are out. Yours are almost. Yours is almost out.

[D]

There's 4,000 job openings in public education in Arizona. And you're welcome. And I did that. I feel very responsible for that.

[F]

I think we talked about it last year. You're you. Your constant hammering of this has also made the legislature go. We need to lower the requirements for teaching. Right. We have open spots because too many open. You don't need a certificate. You can go do it until you get the certificate.

[D]

Make the parents knees.

[E]

Speed up the process.

[D]

Hit the ground to your doctors. Well, that's what they're going to do. They're going to speed it up. We want to make the parents hit their knees and apologize. Also, many people emailing it saying because there's too many communists teaching the kids also. And that's true. Also. There's a lot of commie teachers and Toledo's Mamdani wife has become one. And if you've met the general public's children, you would also become a communist and hope for a Dim gray future for them.

[F]

I was mind.

[D]

Yeah. I've mind and make these kids have no hope. That's what I would do. How's the teacher? I'd rather be a communist than like your kids. Your kids are horrible. Used to be there was one bad one per 20, 30 kids. You're like, I gotta manage that kid.

[F]

Yeah. And you.

[D]

Now it's the other way. Now there's one good one person.

[F]

It is easier to send the one bad one out in the hall, I guess.

[D]

Send 25 out and then that little Asian girl that's sitting there doing everything she's told is the only one you like.

[E]

And you get sued for sending them out in the hallway.

[D]

Yeah. Because they trip over each other or something happens or they just isolated and it triggered some response when they were four. Don't want to hear it. Congratulations. I feel personally somewhat responsible for helping the teachers all quit their jobs. 1055 and that number's going to go up, folks. You should keep doing it. I've never been.

[F]

I was against that for a long time. But I'm starting to think you're ready.

[D]

I'm right.

[F]

Anybody that pays you 35 almost ready for retirement anyway.

[D]

35 grand and doesn't give you any power, like with what they've paid you just leave.

[B]

Get.

[D]

Replace that money at Home Depot. There's plenty of jobs out there. Go get one.

[E]

That's the downside, I think, of the private school. Right. Because a lot of them, they'll have maybe a 401k. But if you go public and you stay there is a little pension.

[F]

Oh, yeah.

[D]

So you get nice money.

[F]

She's got a good retirement system for sure.

[D]

Sure should figure that out. They have nice. They have nice stuff like that at Lowe's. You'll be okay.

[F]

Private's not any better. What he's talking about is, is even worse because the parents have more control there.

[D]

Yeah, but you're getting, you're getting a couple bucks in your pocket and everybody's.

[F]

Not getting paid any better.

[D]

And you don't have all those dead beats running around.

[E]

You don't. Because that parent, that becomes the thorn in the side, they're like, you need to move your child.

[D]

Kick them out. Yeah, they got a little juice still. That's the thing. They let those, those teachers have some power. I love it. I'm proud of myself. I feel good about that. If there was one industry I'd like to destroy, it would be the public school system. And I'm doing it one person at a time. We'll get a two man Rock wars today. Unless Toledo wants to participate.

[F]

I'll participate.

[D]

You know, kick in for Brett.

[E]

Sure.

[D]

All right. You can do it for Brett. And we'll keep our own. Quiet. We'll have a Rock wars coming up in just a little bit. It's 98.

[F]

It's not weird. It's pretty cool, actually. No membership fee.

[D]

I have heard enough of this.