What’s a BAT, you might ask. Bad-Ass Teacher. There is a new Bad Ass Teacher association that formed off of a facebook page. According to the Washington Post the organization was:
… created to give voice to every teacher who refuses to be blamed for the failure of our society to erase poverty and inequality through education. BAT members refuse to accept assessments, tests and evaluations created and imposed by corporate driven entities that have contempt for authentic teaching and learning.
Their goals:
BATs aim to reduce or eliminate the use of high stakes testing, increase teacher autonomy in the classroom and work to include teacher and family voices in legislative decision-making processes that affect students.
Group guidelines:
We are a rich and diverse group of education professionals and concerned citizens/families who strive to engage in discourse that improves our profession. We encourage dialogue about many hot-button issues but page administrators reserve the right to delete comments, threads, and (if necessary) individuals from the group that do not engage in respectful civil discourse….
Actions:
BAT will engage in organized group actions such as phone calls, emails, or letter writing. These actions will be announced as timely as possible so it will allow all members an opportunity to be a part of the action.
Lofty goals. Good for them. They are tired of being pushed around and blamed for all the things that are beyond their control. So far the group is some 20,000 strong and has only been around for about a month. This is what happens when politicians continue to bully and school administrators continue to cave. Was it a year ago that the new teacher evaluation form went in to effect in Virginia? A huge portion of that form involves test scores. So if that teacher doesn’t teach to the test enough, then that teacher gets zapped. I am waiting for the day when students are actually held accountable.
Go Bad Asses! Your day will come. I have been saying for 10 years that if the absurdities in education keeps up, there will be no teachers worth having. They are programmed for failure and the vocal public thinks teachers should work for beans. The far right anti unionist seem to think that the teachers are their employees. That just isn’t how it works.
The citizens elect a school board. The school board hires administrators. The employees work for the school board and answer to the administrators, many of whom are simply weak sisters who have been bullied into submission. those who haven’t been totally bullied don’t last.
So there is a new kid in town. This change won’t happen over night but it will gain traction.
Further reading:
Cool.
But: “tests and evaluations created and imposed by corporate driven entities that have contempt for authentic teaching and learning.”
Last I heard, it was the know nothing POLITICIANS demanding these tests because they HAVE TO DO SOMETHING! and get the voters that DEMAND THAT SOMETHING BE DONE! other than take responsibility for their own children’s education, off of their backs.
I think it is a mix actually. I dont necessarily think that corporate America has contempt for authentic teaching. I think that politicians bend and sway to whatever is coming down the pike.
The voters see these stupid test scores and use it as the only measure of how America is fairing.
There are lots of parents who do assume responsibility for their kids but there are sure a lot who don’t. Everyone’s fault but the home. Of course those aren’t the people howling over test scores as a rule.
I am just glad to see teachers fighting back rather than taking all the public guff they have had to take the past few years.
Sent the Take Part article off to my school teacher daughter who has the same complaints. She teaches 10/11 grade American history and often has “inclusion” students in her classes who often have the cognitive ability of a 6 or perhaps 7 year old or, in some instances, can’t read at all. These kids that the same SOL tests as the “normal” kids and thus bring down the class average, which then reflects adversely on my daughter. I hope she will join up with these folks. Can some tell me how a student who has the cognitive capability of a first or second grader or who can’t read at all, gets to the 10/11 grade and maybe even graduates or get a “Certificate of Attendance”?
I never figured that out, George.
Yes and shame on your daughter for not having them caught up with the others. I would laugh but it really isn’t funny. Its sad and teachers are defeated before they ever start out the year because of this crap.
@George S. Harris
Easy.
The schools don’t have room for anyone being failed and held back. And you MUST mainstream. Otherwise it would be a civil rights violation.
Its not so much the room as it is the accommodations. It isn’t like you fail everything as a rule. You can’t just go to a 7th grade English class. Also, they get too old for middle school and elementary school. I can remember being in the 5th grade in Staunton with 16 year olds. Here I was 10 or 11. Staunton did used to fail kids….big time. They also took them out in the hall and thrashed them for stuff like not doing homework. I lived in total fear.
Tell me again….WHY am I planning to become a teacher?
Maybe I’ll just stay in school until I get a Masters and teach jr. college.
You just want older AH’s?
Just think about the benefits.
Corporate America leaders and politicians generally send their kids to private schools
NO. You are needed. What grade?
if I found out my kids or grand kids were planning on teaching I would refuse to help pay for their college. Teachers are treated worse than dogs by the public.
SOL’s are a great example of government failure.
I would don’t think SOLs are a failure. I think the emphasis placed on the SOLs is wrong. I think having some standards is a good thing and it should be at state level, not national level. Its another case of food for thought becoming a full course meal.
The emphasis placed on the tests is unreasonable. There is nothing wrong with establishing a general state curriculum that is agreed upon by teachers, not politicians. There is nothing wrong with teaching what you have taught. In fact it is desirable. But the SOLs don’t stop there. They could but they don’t.
@Lyssa
Thinking middle or high school history.
You know that you will have to teach the curriculum?
@Cargosquid
Cargo,
It would be interesting for you to discuss the degree of difficulty for an experienced professional to become a teacher in VA and to share your thoughts and experiences after you actually begin teaching. I too am thinking about public school teaching as a future retirement job. I would be interested in teaching math and/or science.
There are several colleges that have satellite offices in the area to help professionals merge into the profession. I believe ODU is one of those schools. GMU used to help but it wasn’t the primary one.
Both math and science teachers are sorely needed.