Our schools thrive when we have great teachers who inspire, mentor, and lead our children toward success. When those teachers are unfairly targeted, silenced, or removed because of politics, favoritism, or personal connections, our students and community pay the price. Recently, Mr. Cook — a respected Black male educator, the parish’s teachers’ union president, and a dedicated teacher of over 10 years — was terminated under troubling circumstances. After a disagreement with the Chief Operations Officer, who was hired by the superintendent and is his fraternity brother, Mr. Cook was removed from the classroom. The situation raises further concerns as the superintendent also hired the HR director, a friend and sorority sister to his fraternity. These facts point to a clear pattern of favoritism and compromised leadership. We believe that: • Decisions impacting our children’s education must be made in the best interest of students — not friendships or fraternity/sorority ties. • Educators who advocate for their colleagues and students should not face retaliation. • Our parish deserves leaders who act with fairness, accountability, and respect for all employees. We, the undersigned, call for the immediate reinstatement of Mr. Cook, the resignation or removal of the superintendent, and a full independent review of recent administrative hires and personnel decisions. Our children are watching. Let’s show them what courage, fairness, and community leadership look like.

Chicago has inclement weather more often than not. We care about the quality of life for our little ones and do not want to remove this space that is so needed for their physical, emotional and social wellness. Many of us chose State of Illinois Childcare Development Center Development Center because of the high standards in quality care. Removing the indoor playground also puts a strain on our beloved teachers.  Help us send a message that we want to find a solution that benefits the SOICDC, the teachers and the children. We care deeply about our community and about the long-term success of SOICDC.

In an effort to foster a “healthy environment for learning,” the state of New York has implemented a ban on phones in schools. While the intention behind this policy is commendable—reducing distractions, promoting focus, and encouraging interpersonal engagement—the execution overlooks the evolving role of technology in education and the realities of modern student life. Rather than cultivating a healthier learning environment, the ban risks creating one that is outdated, inequitable, and less responsive to students’ needs. A more effective approach would be to integrate phones into the educational framework with clear boundaries and purposeful use. The central argument for banning phones is that they distract students from learning. However, distraction is not a function of the device itself—it’s a behavioral challenge that requires guidance, not prohibition. In fact, when used intentionally, phones can deepen engagement. Apps like Kahoot!, Quizlet, and Google Classroom transform passive learning into interactive experiences. Students can research topics in real time, collaborate on shared documents, and access multimedia resources that cater to diverse learning styles. By banning phones, schools eliminate a tool that—when properly managed—can make learning more dynamic and personalized. In today’s world, phones are not just educational tools—they’re essential for safety and communication. Emergencies, whether personal or school-wide, demand immediate access to loved ones and information. Denying students this access can be ethically problematic, especially in a state that has experienced school lockdowns and weather-related crises. Moreover, phones offer autonomy: students can manage their schedules, track assignments, and communicate responsibly. Teaching students how to use phones wisely is far more empowering than removing them altogether. The phone ban disproportionately affects students from underserved communities. For many, a smartphone is their only reliable access to the internet. Homework, research, and college applications often require digital access that schools cannot always provide. Additionally, students with disabilities benefit from assistive technologies embedded in phones—speech-to-text, screen readers, and calming apps that support emotional regulation. Banning phones removes these supports and widens the equity gap, undermining the very mission of public education. Rather than shielding students from technology, schools should prepare them to navigate it responsibly. Digital literacy is a core competency in the 21st century. Students will use phones in college, the workplace, and daily life. By banning them, schools miss the chance to teach self-regulation, ethical online behavior, and critical thinking in digital spaces. A healthy learning environment is not one devoid of technology—it’s one where technology is used with intention, reflection, and accountability. Phones are creative tools. Students can film short documentaries, record podcasts, design graphics, and collaborate on projects—all from a device in their pocket. These activities foster critical thinking, storytelling, and teamwork. In a world where content creation is a viable career path, schools should encourage students to explore these skills. The ban stifles innovation and limits the ways students can express themselves and connect with others. The goal of creating a healthy learning environment is noble, but banning phones is a blunt instrument for a nuanced challenge. Instead of exclusion, New York schools should adopt structured policies that promote responsible use, digital literacy, and equitable access. Phones, when integrated thoughtfully, can enhance learning, support safety, and prepare students for the realities of modern life. The healthiest learning environment is not one that avoids technology. It is one that teaches students how to thrive within it.

Please join in showing your support for: • Truth, facts, and science. • Scientific integrity. • Life-saving vaccines that have saved millions of lives and mRNA technology that helps fight cancer. • Ethical and responsible public health leadership. • U.S. leadership in global health innovation and preparedness. 

Across New York, long-serving family childcare providers are being blocked from becoming daycare directors solely because they don’t have a college degree—even if they’ve spent decades caring for children, mentoring others, and leading within their communities. Diane Abram (formerly Diane Ballard) is one of those providers. She began her licensed family daycare over 30 years ago under her maiden name and has supported generations of families in Buffalo. In addition to providing high-quality care, Diane has trained new providers, advocated for stronger childcare policies, and stood up for working families across the state. Despite her proven leadership and deep community roots, she was denied the opportunity to become a daycare center director—because she doesn’t hold a degree. This outdated requirement disregards real-world experience and disproportionately harms Black and Brown women, older providers, and those in underserved communities who built their careers through hard work, not academic credentials. Many of these providers work 60 to 80 hours a week, often offering non-traditional hours like evenings, overnights, and weekends—services most centers don’t provide, but working families rely on. We urge Senators Jabari Brisport and April N. M. Baskin to: • ✅ Support policy change at OCFS to recognize experience-based qualifications for director roles • ✅ Champion equitable leadership pathways for providers with proven service • ✅ Lead efforts that remove structural barriers to advancement in early childhood care

This isn’t radical. It’s the bare minimum. We can’t keep piecemealing child safety and pretending “parental rights” always mean protection. The U.S. claims to champion human rights abroad—yet here at home, we allow religion and ideology to silence abuse victims. “The United States is the only country in the UN that has not ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child—and likely never will, due to entrenched opposition around national sovereignty and so-called “parental rights.”” Far-right groups like Moms for Liberty are pushing for total parental control over education while ignoring the fact that children are being abused under their watch. Expanding “parental rights” without guardrails is not protection—it’s complicity. Think of Jonestown. Waco. Ruby Franke. The Turpins. The Duggars. Warren Jeffs. I was one of those kids. We must confront a hard truth: “Freedom of religion” has too often meant freedom to harm—and freedom from accountability. Court decisions like Wisconsin v. Yoder have left generations of children vulnerable by placing religious and parental rights above basic safety. While religious freedom is vital, it must have common-sense boundaries—especially when it comes to protecting children. It’s time to face this issue head-on and establish clear legal limits that put child safety first. Child safety must come first. Always. Kids deserve to know how to protect themselves. We can’t fight abuse if we keep it hidden. Sign now to demand Congress pass the Every Child Safe Act.  Share this petition. Use #EveryChildSafeAct to break the silence and protect kids nationwide. We have the power to create a country where every child is protected, educated, and free from abuse. Let’s make that real. "Child abuse casts a shadow the length of a lifetime." - Herbert Ward

This fight is bigger than a checkbox — it’s about correcting centuries of lies, theft, and legal erasure. For too long, the descendants of enslaved American Indians, Indigenous Europeans, Pacific Islanders, Asians, and Free People of Color have been lumped into a false racial category: “Black.” Their original nations, names, and legal rights were stripped away through paper genocide, Jim Crow laws, and colonial policies that erased entire peoples with the stroke of a pen. Now, even our history, culture, and identity are being claimed by others — particularly recent African immigrants and pan-African ideologues — who attempt to speak for us, replace us in our own narrative, and rewrite our legacy. By supporting the push to recognize “Reclassified Original American” as a distinct classification, you are: ✅ Standing up for the truth of history ✅ Supporting people fighting to restore stolen identities ✅ Aiding the movement for reparative justice and data accuracy ✅ Helping families reclaim their tribal, national, and genealogical records ✅ Pushing back against the system — and movements — that reclassify, rename, and erase our lineage ✅ Defending the culture, sovereignty, and heritage of reclassified Americans from being replaced or misrepresented This is a fight for every person who believes that identity should be honored, not overwritten or exploited. Join the campaign to restore what was taken. Join the campaign to make our people count — by name, by blood, and by right. This isn’t just about the past — It’s about protecting the future from being stolen again.

If you are a parent, a guardian, a teacher, a principal, or a citizen of the District of Columbia, you should care about this issue because well-educated and well trained substitute teachers (ST) are a critical part of the public school ecosystem. When teachers need to be out of the classroom for meetings, doctors appointments, stress management, illness, or caretaking, an ST should be available to take over. When there is not one available, students are required to split up into other teachers' classrooms, overloading that teacher. Or someone from administration is required to neglect their responsibilities and teach the class. These situations are not good for the students. They deserve a skilled substitute teacher to implement the teacher's lesson plan or create alternative learning activities for that class.   We need you to join our campaign asking the DC Mayor and Council to invest in our schools by providing a living wage for ST's and paying for paid professional development for ST's as well. Substitute teachers cannot continue to work for poverty wages and volunteer on professional development days!

In the words of former Board Chair Dr. Alvin Thornton, writing in 2021 op-ed: “Our community, its children, and the School System deserve a Board that governs collegially, professionally, ethically, transparently, and in a student-centered manner. Anything less is unacceptable and should not be tolerated.” “The politicization of the Board of Education is now on steroids and out of control with little discernible connection to the best interest of our children. It must end.” That warning has become reality. A rushed appointment, backroom coordination with an officer-elect, and exclusion of community voice call for urgent State intervention to restore integrity and protect the 133,000 students of Prince George’s County Public Schools. As such, we respectfully assert that the Board’s action is arbitrary, unreasonable, and contrary to law, and approval of the appointment under these circumstances would undermine public confidence in the State’s educational oversight framework. We humbly petition Dr. Carey M. Wright, State Superintendent of Schools: • Decline to approve the appointment of Dr. Joseph until the entire search process outlined in § 4-201.1 is completed in good faith and compliance with applicable regulations. • That the Board is barred from terminating the employment of any senior staff members during the interim period. • Provide oversight and guidance to the County Board to ensure that future selections are conducted with transparency, fairness, and legal integrity. • Initiate a formal investigation into the legality and procedural integrity of the Board of Education's recent decisions.

Public schools should be safe and welcoming for all students, regardless of their race, gender, ethnicity, or religious background. By forcing every public school in Texas to display the Ten Commandments, the Texas government is sending a loud and clear message to the many students who don’t practice Christianity: You don’t belong here. This is all part of a coordinated conservative playbook to take control of our schools, undermine public education, and push an extreme Christian nationalist agenda nationwide. Sign the petition to fight back >> 

The GLOBE Program is a 30 year program providing participants with support to perform real world, hands on science experience through data collection, data analysis and connecting users to NASA and scientists around the world.  In the US alone there are over 32,000 trained GLOBE teachers, over 500,000 students, and over 150,000 citizen scientists that have contributed nearly 180 million unique measurements.  Over 1,000 US student projects can be found on the GLOBE website with countless stories of the impact GLOBE has had on students and thousands of citizen scientists.  Read about Lily C - a student from Mississippi - who participated in GLOBE in Jr. High and now High school - receiving 7 different awards from various national organizations - https://www.globe.gov/web/united-states-of-america/home/news/-/newsdetail/14718/usm-regional-science-fair Read about US partner organizations who have used GLOBE to connect with students from kindergarten through graduate school -https://www.globe.gov/documents/14718/79587433/2024+U.S.+GLOBE+Partner+Yearbook.pdf/970775fc-30c8-90e0-0db0-01415e540ebe?t=1748021493051 Watch the video of the GLOBE Learning Expedition - bringing together GLOBE participants from around the world - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS8UKw1OfNU Support science, NASA and the GLOBE Program.  For a sample script and senator contact information: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JMkZytRfZeSgX4NMWZz7UQT5BIXurMHEXSaQYb33zYQ/edit?usp=sharing  To join Friends of GLOBE refer to this google doc: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1m8GkqYCFXwjPW8NN_IyFe5Ue8i0pDZlTzlC5IiY8sWw/edit?usp=sharing

I am writing to urge you to consider sponsoring and supporting a proposed piece of legislation called Topher’s Law. (Together on Protecting Human Ethical Rights) This bill is designed to reform Missouri’s guardianship laws to ensure that adult wards who are disabled or otherwise under guardianship retain their right to maintain family relationships—without unnecessary court hurdles or isolation imposed by overreaching guardians. Currently, immediate family members often face significant barriers in simply visiting, calling, or taking their loved one on an outing, even with the ward’s full consent. In some cases, families must petition the court just to spend time together—placing an unjust burden on those who should be presumed to act out of love and care. Topher’s Law flips that burden: if a guardian wishes to deny access, they must go to court and prove why it is necessary. This legislation: Centers the ward’s own voice and consent. Provides a court-appointed advocate regardless of the ward’s ability to pay. Protects against unjustified isolation from immediate family. Brings transparency and accountability to guardianship practices. I’ve included a full draft of the proposed law with this letter. I would be deeply grateful for the opportunity to meet with you or your staff to discuss this further. Families across Missouri—and more importantly, the individuals placed under guardianship—deserve protection, dignity, and a law that puts their humanity first