Marla Kilfoyle was a public school teacher who taught in rural, urban, and suburban communities for 30 years. A National Board Certified Teacher, Marla was the first educator to be honored as a Finkelstein Memorial Lecturer at Adelphi University because of her commitment as a public education advocate. Marla also co-authored an Amicus Brief filed in the Supreme Court for Friedrichs vs. CTA and was honored by the NYS Assembly in 2012 as a Woman of Distinction.

She served as the Executive Director of The Badass Teachers Association (BATs) from 2013-2018 and she was on the Steering Committee for the New York State Allies for Public Education from 2014-2018. Throughout her teaching career in the Oceanside, New York School District she held many elected positions in her union. Marla has worked for NPE since she retired from teaching in 2017.