BATs Mission Letter

CLARIFICATION OF OUR MISSION

JULY 18, 2013

Dear Members - We would like to make it clear and concise what our mission is for this association of teachers. Our actions will occur in three phases and continue to evolve as the landscape of corporate deform evolves.

Phase 1 – To expose the entities that are harming public education (corporate deformers and government officials/lawmakers). Time Frame: July/August

Phase 2 -To educate the public about the realities of public education policy.

To pursue ways, prior to the start of the school year, to educate and join in partnership with parent and student groups to actively stop the privatization of our public school system. To also educate teachers who are not yet aware of the privatization movement. Time Frame: Late July/August

Phase 3 - To continue making public the hoax that our public school system is broken as well as other lies being spread about public education. We will actively monitor and target public figures to demand they “step up” and increase support for public education. Time Frame: Late August/Year Round

We ARE NOT A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION. WE DO NOT SUPPORT OR ENDORSE ANY POLITICAL PARTY. We endorse a return of education back to the public and the addition of teacher voices to the education conversations being had at both the federal and state level.

Here is what we are fighting:

1. 1. Badass Teachers will fight against Common Core National Standards; this stance is rooted in an extensive review of research literature, policy documents, and advice of educational historians/experts (Ravitch, Krashen, and Cody). This stance is in NO WAY ROOTED TO SUPPORT ANY POLITICAL PARTY. BATs WILL NOT ALIGN THEMSELVES WITH ANY POLITICAL PARTY. WE BELIEVE THIS IS AN EDUCATORS’ FIGHT AND WE WILL SUPPORT TEACHERS IN ENDING THE HARM CURRENTLY BEING DONE TO PUBLIC EDUCATION IN AMERICA. This group is opposed to the forced imposition of Common Core Standards on teachers, schools and school districts. We do not exclude teachers who voluntarily work with Common Core Standards, but we vehemently oppose a one size fits all model of learning that is imposed through bribery, intimidation and extreme political pressure, for the profit of private companies, in a manner that brings with it increased testing and smothers student and teacher creativity.
2. Badass Teachers will fight against High Stakes Testing and the excessive testing of our children.
3. Badass Teachers will fight against teacher evaluations tied to student test scores.
4. Badass Teachers will fight against the corporate attempt to privatize public education, which has resulted in the closing of schools in urban and poverty areas and the subsequent opening of charter schools for profit or a voucher system that seeks to destroy neighborhood schools.
5. Badass Teachers will fight against any federal or state educational policy or mandate that has been implemented without funding and extensive teacher input.
6. Badass Teachers will fight against any attempt to assault, hinder, or deny our right to collective bargaining.
   

We hope that these six mission statements will allow you all to carry on conversations as great Badasses always do. We also hope they will provide you with a clarification of our goals. An army of 23,000 Badass Teachers will not agree on all these elements but we do agree on most. We want to thank you all for your continued support, time, and consideration. Now let's get to work!

Respectfully your Co-Founders,
Mark Naison and Priscilla Sanstead
and
BAT General Manager
Marla Kilfoyle