Badass Teacher Association Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

New Facebook Group Badass Teachers Association Enrolls 10,000 Teachers in 7 days:  A Sign of Deep Frustration with Current Policies

 

Bellmore, New York - June 22, 2013

 

The Badass Teachers Association began when Dr. Mark Naison, a professor of African American Studies at Fordham University in New York and Priscilla Sanstead a midwestern activist created the group in early June.  Within one day the group grew to 270 Teachers.  On June 16th, Dr. Naison and Marla Massey Kilfoyle, a parent/teacher activist from New York, organized a recruiting contest for Badass Teacher of the Month.  7 days after that challenge the group has shot to 10,000 members.  Why such a meteoric rise? The key can be found in the groups mission statement:  "This is for every teacher who refuses to be blamed for the failure of our society to erase poverty and inequality, and refuses to accept assessments, tests and evaluations imposed by those who have contempt for real teaching and learning."  Badass Teachers Association hopes to return teacher autonomy to the classroom, remove high stakes testing from the national conversation about education, and cease the corporate takeover of public education.

 

Contact:

 

Dr. Mark Naison

Fordham University

Priscilla Sanstead

Marla Kilfoyle, NBCT

Michael Pena

Denisha Jones