The Badass Teachers' Association: Organizing to Establish a Vision of Change

• In Event: Organizing Teacher Leaders for Change

Abstract

Teachers have been organizing for decades in teachers’ unions and associations; however, teachers have recently begun to seek out activist-minded organizations to find individuals committed to social justice and the fight against neoliberalism. This presentation will focus on a case study of the teacher activist group, The Badass Teachers’ Association, and its efforts to sustain democratic education in a time where democracy has been threatened by neoliberalism. The background of the Badass Teachers’ Association will be explored, followed by a discussion of neoliberalism and how democratic education can combat this threat. The purpose of this presentation is to showcase one teacher activist organization’s commitment to social justice by supporting democratic education and rejecting educational policy centered in neoliberal ideals.

Author

• Brianne Kramer, Southern Utah University