The Leadership Team of the Badass Teachers Association

Supports A Parents' Right to Refuse the Test! 

The Leadership Team of the Badass Teachers Association would like to publicly state that we support a parents' right to refuse state testing for their children.  As an education activist organization of over 54,000 teachers and parents, we know that the testing our children are subject to under corporate education reform is harmful, invalid, and not being used as an instrument to further instruction.  We strongly object to any education practice that is not rooted in sound pedagogy and is being used as a weapon to harm children and their communities.  We most strongly object that these tests scores are being used to close schools in our poor communities, which are also predominantly our communities of color.  As educators, we will never support assessments that continue to marginalize, blame, and punish our children and their communities.  Therefore, we strongly advise all parents to refuse their children from state testing. When we deny education departments the data, they cannot use it against our children, their communities, or teachers.  REFUSE THE TEST!

The Leadership Team of the Badass Teachers Association has also published a statement against the sit and stare policy.  This abusive policy requires children, who refuse state testing, to sit and stare for hours.  Here is our statement on that policy:  http://badassteachers.blogspot.com/2015/02/bats-leadership-team-releases-statement.html

The Leadership Team of the Badass Teachers Association has also published that we are, as an organization, conscientious objectors to state tests that are being used to punish, blame, and fail our children, their communities, and teachers.  You can read that statement here:  http://badassteachers.blogspot.com/2014/11/the-badass-teachers-association-we-have.html

We want to tell all our parents and students that WE SUPPORT YOUR RIGHT TO REFUSE HARMFUL TESTING and we also would like to encourage all teachers/parents to REFUSE YOUR OWN CHILDREN FROM TESTING.