Complaint Filed Against Madison School District
Special education teachers have lodged a complaint against the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), alleging that employment decisions were influenced by race.
A former district employee, Curry Bishop, claims she was unexpectedly transferred to another school because MMSD prioritized what they referred to as “culturally sensitive practices” over actual effectiveness in the classroom. This complaint was initially submitted to the U.S. Employment Opportunity Committee (EEOC) with support from the Wisconsin Legal Association.
“I love working at Thoreau Elementary School and was heartbroken to be removed after so many years,” Bishop expressed in a statement. “Teachers and students shouldn’t face discrimination based on race.”
MMSD implemented a new scoring system in 2021 to determine which teachers were labeled as “surplus” and would be transferred due to an excess of staff at a given school. This new framework assessed teachers’ adherence to “culturally responsive practices,” essentially judging how much they emphasized one race over others.
The role of a “culturally responding teacher” apparently involves a personal evaluation of one’s own racial identity, according to their guidelines.
As of now, MMSD hasn’t responded to requests for comment regarding this situation.
This approach mandates that teachers recognize various “social emotional learning needs” and scrutinize their own “implicit biases” along with addressing racial and cultural identities. MMSD promotes these practices as part of their strategy to retain “teachers of color.”
It’s worth noting that this new rubric does not factor in “teacher effectiveness or performance,” which effectively overruled prior criteria based on seniority, as the school board claimed the old system disproportionately benefitted white teachers.
Bishop has consistently received positive reviews at her school. In her most recent evaluation from 2022, she earned top scores across all categories, with her former principal even referring to her work as having “superhero quality” and expressing appreciation for her dedication to students. Said another way, she was deemed crucial not just in her role but often took charge to ensure cohesive operation.
Subsequent reviews in 2024 noted her high ratings in the equity category, indicating that she provided significant support and was very responsive to student needs.
However, despite her strong track record, when the decision regarding surplus staffing was made, Bishop received one of the lowest scores in “culturally sensitive practices,” and the school provided no explanation for this decision or the specific score she received on the rubric.
Luke Berg remarked, “The hyper focus on race by MMSD is misguided and illegal. The unfortunate outcome here is that the district has lost one of its best teachers, which ultimately harms its most vulnerable students. We hope this situation sheds light on how the district’s rubric is being applied.”
