Special Education Teacher Complaint against Madison School District
A group of special education teachers has lodged a complaint against the Madison Metropolitan School District (MMSD), claiming that race was factored into employment decisions.
A former staff member, Curry Bishop, alleges that she was transferred to a different school due to the district’s supposed emphasis on “culturally sensitive practices” over actual classroom effectiveness. This complaint was initially presented to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) with the support of the Wisconsin Legal Association.
“I truly enjoyed my time at Thoreau Elementary School and felt devastated when I was removed from there after so many years,” Bishop mentioned in a statement. “Students and teachers shouldn’t face discrimination based on their race.”
MMSD introduced a new scoring system in 2021 that designated some teachers as “surplus,” which led to required, and often unwanted, transfers when there were too many teachers at a particular school. This new rubric emphasized teachers’ “culturally responsive practices,” assessing how much they prioritized one race over others.
Teachers are expected to engage in a self-examination of their racial identity as part of this framework. MMSD has not responded to requests for comment regarding the situation.
This approach requires teachers to acknowledge “social emotional learning needs” and assess their “implicit bias” while addressing racial and cultural identities. MMSD is public about aiming to retain “teachers of color” through these practices.
Critically, this new method did not factor in “teacher effectiveness or performance,” replacing previous metrics that considered seniority. The school board argued this was necessary to avoid disproportionately benefiting white teachers.
Bishop has consistently received commendations from the school. In her 2022 performance review, she earned top ratings across the board. The then-principal described her contributions as having a “superhero quality,” praising her deep commitment to student growth and community engagement.
However, despite her strong reviews, when the surplus decision was made, Bishop received one of the lowest scores in the “culturally sensitive practices” category. The school did not provide clarity on the decision or disclose the specific rubric used for her evaluation.
“The overemphasis on race at MMSD is not only misguided but also illegal,” said Luke Berg in a statement. “The unfortunate result is that the district has lost one of its most effective teachers, ultimately harming its most vulnerable students. We hope this situation sheds light on how the district is applying its scoring system.”
