AFT Delegates Join the AFT BAT Caucus

By:  Marla Kilfoyle, Interim Chair AFT BAT Caucus

This year the Badass Teachers Association will launch its caucus in the AFT.  The association already has a vibrant caucus in the NEA.  The read more about the work of the NEA BAT Caucus this year go here  http://badassteachers.blogspot.com/2016/07/reflection-by-becca-ritchie-chair-nea.html    BATs is now extending its work into the AFT with the AFT BAT Caucus.  

Here are the tentative by laws due to be voted on by the body on July 18th
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1pE-jxn18W247ZWfk60qraFKAdBlDbGXzHgdjDJ-vhhk/edit

The AFT BAT Caucus will be an issue oriented caucus within the AFT. Here is our mission as stated in our by laws:  The Badass Teachers Association Caucus will establish as its mission in the AFT to promote Healthy Workplace, Healthy Schools for Children. In 2015 The Badass Teachers Association Quality of Workplace Team and The American Federation of Teachers Research Department  teamed up to conduct a groundbreaking national survey of teachers/paraprofessionals and their workplace conditions. What the survey found was that teachers/paraprofessionals are not feeling respected, teachers/paraprofessionals are feeling an immense intrusion into their classrooms by lawmakers who have little knowledge about the practice of educating children, teachers/paraprofessionals want to be treated as professionals who CAN make decisions for the children in their care, and finally teachers and paraprofessionals demand removal of humiliation as a form of control in our schools. The AFT BAT Caucus will adopt as its mission, “A Teachers/Paraprofessionals work environment is a student’s learning environment.” Our focus will be to push healthy workplace environments for teachers/paraprofessionals and children through solid scientific research and to push for healthy workplace legislation for America’s teachers and paraprofessionals. Please go here to examine the AFT/BAT survey results.   http://www.aft.org/sites/default/files/worklifesurveyresults2015.pdf

To join the caucus go here and fill out this form  https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdy9QnJdpilD1P1sS09qkHcRc27H8o3s3ZdV0DwqVpunBWnaQ/viewform?c=0&w=1

THEN

Go to our website http://www.badassteacher.org/    and pay your dues at the Paypal button.  When you see the "purpose" box please type in AFT BAT Caucus dues.  Dues are $10 a year

If you are NOT a delegate but a member of AFT and wish to support the work of the AFT BAT Caucus you are welcome to also donate and join as a "friend" of the AFT BAT Caucus.

AFT BAT Caucus Schedule