Governor Walker touts education success story, teacher strikes back saying "he did not have her permission"

MILWAUKEE -- Governor Scott Walker keeps highlighting a Wisconsin English teacher while on the campaign trail. But that teacher is saying "leave me out of this."

It's a story about the state of education that's meant to make your blood boil.

"In 2010, there was a young woman named Megan Sampson who was honored as the outstanding teacher of the year in my state and not long after, she got that distinction she was laid off by her school district," said Walker.

Governor Walker shared the tale at the Iowa Freedom Summit in January -- and continues to do so as proof that his reforms are exactly what Wisconsin needed.

"In her school district her union contract said the last hired was the first fired. I'm proud to tell you today that in Wisconsin, because of our reforms, we didn't just balance the budget, we not say in our schools there's no more seniority or tenure -- you can hire and fire whoever your want, you can pay based on performances," said Walker.

The educator in question, Megan Sampson, was named the outstanding first-year teacher by the Wisconsin Council of Teachers of English, before losing her job with Milwaukee Public Schools.

Governor Walker is again touting Sampson's story; this time in a column to the Des Moines Register, published earlier this week. In that article, Walker writes "Now, more than ever, we need to push big, bold reforms to improve our schools. If we can do it in Wisconsin, there is no reason we can't push positive education reforms across the country."

Sampson's story may be a favorite talking point for the likely 2016 presidential contender, but Sampson herself wants to be left out of it. In an email to the Associated Press, she writes "I do not enjoy being associated with Walker's political campaign." And also notes the governor did "not have permission from me to use my story in this manner. And he still does not have my permission."

FOX6 News reached out to both the governor's office and his political committee for comment, as well as to see if he intended to keep using Sampson's story. Our messages have not yet been returned.