Embattled School Board Director Aisha Carr Resigns

Aisha Carr. Photo courtesy of Aisha 4 Milwaukee.

Controversial Milwaukee Public Schools board member Aisha Carr resigned her seat Wednesday.

The resignation follows the release of an audio tape where Carr claims she placed a recording device in an administration office, which she said was an intentional lie to test someone, and an investigation into whether she lived in the district she represented.

In a letter to Marva Herndon, Carr resigned her seat in District 4 effective immediately. “It has been a great honor to serve the children of the City of Milwaukee,” wrote Carr.

She was first elected to the school board in 2021, representing a central city district that includes the North Division and James Groppi high schools.

Carr has been an outspoken supporter of charter schools and a frequent critic of MPS administration. Her resignation follows reporting by Rory Linnane that Carr was the subject of a criminal investigation for her place of residence and a the potential subject of a board investigation for conduct during her time on the board

The Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office confirmed it was investigating whether or not Carr was living in the school board district she represented on the board. A complaint against for misconduct was also lodged with the school board, Linnane reported, though the details of the complaint remain confidential.

Carr is a former MPS special education teacher who began her career working for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Milwaukee and as a congressional staffer in Washington D.C.

Carr’s support for private and charter schools has made opponents out of the Milwaukee Teachers’ Education Association (MTEA) and other members of the school board. But she did retain support among constituents and other members of the community. When the school board met recently to consider the complaint against Carr, more than 75 people showed up to speak in support of Carr, including Circuit Court Judge and former state senator Lena Taylor, as Urban Milwaukee reported.

But her conduct outside of her views on education has also been a source of controversy. She has found herself in hot water for secretly recording an MPS administrator without his knowledge, though it was not illegal because she was party to the conversation. Carr was also recorded saying she planted a listening device in Superintendent Keith P. Posley‘s office. However, Carr says this was a lie intended to test the trustworthiness of Debbie Kuether, a former MPS administrator who is suing the district.

Urban Milwaukee requested comment from Herndon and Carr, but has not heard back from either.

The school board continues to operate with eight members. Members are elected to four-year terms on a staggered basis. They serve part-time and are paid approximately $19,000 per year.

A special election is expected to be called to fill Carr’s seat, which is up for a normally scheduled election in spring 2025.