Badass Teachers Association Blog: About Us

Badass Teachers Association

We, the members of the Badass Teachers Association, reject profit-driven education reform and through our advocacy demand:

• Student driven policies and systems that are equitably funded to meet the needs of the students and schools

• Elimination of high stakes standardized testing, arbitrary cut scores and value-added accountability systems used to evaluate children, educators and their schools

• Balanced evaluations designed to grow professional practice

• Protection of balanced, student-centered curriculum which includes, but is not limited to, performing and Fine Arts, Physical Education, Library, Foreign Languages, Career and Technical Education, and Recess

• Developmentally sound best practices and programs which augment the experiences of students with special needs and those learning the English language

• Educator-designed policies, standards and curricula that are supported by peer-reviewed research, as well as input from experienced classroom experts

• Academic freedom for educators and students, thus ensuring the best possible learning and teaching environment

• Excellent public education for all students, regardless of economic status, race, nationality, gender, religion, or sexual orientation

• School cultures rooted in equitable practices that honor the culture and history of all students and strive to heal and transform past and current oppressive systems

• Safe, clean, well-maintained professional workplace environments, free from bullying and harassment of students and educators

• Collective bargaining rights and due process

• Legislation that unequivocally directs accountability and transparency for charter schools

• Democratically elected school boards that solicit and openly work to include the input of the entire community they serve

Board of Directors
Priscilla Sanstead - Chair of The Board of Directors
Denisha Jones - Co-Chair of The Board of Directors
Wilma De Soto - Co-Chair of The Board of Directors
Gus Morales - Co-Chair of The Board of Directors
Sergio Flores - Co-Chair of The Board of Directors
Marla Kilfoyle - Executive Director
Melissa Love Light Tomlinson - Asst. Executive Director

Steering Committee Directors

Sue Goncarovs and Kathie Wing Larsyn - Co-Directors of Meme Team*
Jamy Brice Hyde - Director Quality of Workplace Steering Committee*
Becca Ritchie - Director of Union Steering Committee
Michael Flanagan and Tina Andres -Co- Directors of Action Committee
Steven Singer - Director of Research/Blogging
Stacy Holcombe and Roberta Reid - Director of Social Justice Steering Committee
Kathleen Hagans Jeskey and Michelle Murphy Ramey- Director of State Administrators*
Terry Kalb and Lorri Gumanow - Co-Directors of Special Education Team