Teacher group rallies in Washington to protest Common Core, Arne Duncan
Last fall, Melissa Tomlinson took on Gov. Chris Christie and his educational policies in a heated exchange that received national attention.
Tomorrow, Tomlinson and other BATs – short for Badass Teachers – take their campaign to Washington, D.C. for a day-long rally on the Department of Education’s plaza.
The BATs, a national organization of some 48,000 teachers, will demand the government end its support of the Common Core State Standards and high-stakes testing. And they will call for Education Secretary Arne Duncan to be fired and replaced with a career educator.
Tomlinson, a middle school teacher in Buena in Atlantic County, said they don’t expect Duncan to get sacked, but they believe their calls for change are being heard.
“It has put him on notice, yes? I think his eyes have been opened a little bit,” she said.
The BATs are hosting a day of activism and advocacy training in the nation’s capital today. It will be followed by tomorrow’s rally.
“We’re trying to bring attention to what is happening in education,” she said. “A lot of what the public is reading puts teachers in a bad light, puts public education in a bad light.”
The BATs promise a different kind of rally, with performances and speakers that highlight the success of public education, she said.
“It’s not going to be your typical angry march, but more of a celebration,” she said.Teacher group rallies in Washington to protest Common Core, Arne Duncan | NJ.com: