Our Mission

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

  • ​Equitable student driven policies and systems that are also equitably funded to meet the needs of ALL students and schools, that include highly qualified and certified educational professionals

  • ​Elimination of high stakes standardized testing as we recognize its roots in racism, arbitrary cut scores, and value-added accountability systems used to evaluate children, educators and their schools

  • ​Educator evaluations designed to grow professional practice, without punitive measures

  • ​Protection of balanced, student-centered curriculum which includes, but is not limited to, Performing and Visual Arts, Physical Education, Library, World Languages, Ethnic Studies developed with/by local affinity groups, Career and Technical Education, Unstructured Play and Recess

  • ​Developmentally sound best practices and programs which augment the experiences of students with special needs, LGBTQIA+ students, students with complex trauma, students who experience institutional racism, students marginalized for socio-economic status, immigrants 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 that includes voices from BIPoC, LGBTQIA+, and dis/abled educator communities.  

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

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

  • ​School cultures rooted in equitable practices including the hiring and retention of BIPoC educators, that honor the culture and history of all students and strive to heal and transform past and current oppressive systems

  • ​Safe and equitable technology - recommended screen time and content limits ensuring safe privacy practice for students and educators

  • ​Safe, clean, well-maintained, uncrowded professional workplace environments, free from bullying and harassment of students and educators as well as freedom from threats of violence

  • Collective bargaining rights, due process, and job protections

  • ​Legislation that unequivocally directs accountability and transparency for charter schools, and maintains the vision of public funds for public institutions, disqualifying vouchers, rebates, and tax credits that divert those funds

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