Religion, namely Christianity, is a central part of American culture, especially in the field of politics. The trouble is, many Americans are ignorant to much of what is written in the Bible, as well as most, if not all, of what is written in the Koran, and other religious texts. This creates a society that is extremely susceptible to religious misinformation, which may lead to the justification of bigotry and oppression -- as can be currently seen with the LGBT movement for equal rights. As it is too late to separate church and state, the only hope for a rational and informed society is the raw, unbiased, and required reading of religious texts, including and especially the Bible and the Koran.

Currently, all California children are required to attend school, and parents and students can face financial and civil penalties if the student is determined truant. On top of that, poor families who receive CalWORKs are subject to a reduction in their family’s grant if their child fails to participate in school regularly. Taken together, both penalties are an unjust burden on the backs of poor families straining to climb the rungs of the economic ladder. Research from across the country shows that truancy penalties don't actually work to improve school attendance. AB 2382, by Assemblymember Steven Bradford, will eliminate the CalWORKs attendance penalty, thereby relieving this financial burden and helping families to achieve self-sufficiency.

The band program in our community has a longstanding tradition of excellence. Please help us to maintain that tradition by keeping the band program alive at Southlawn Middle School which feeds into G.W. CARVER HIGH SCHOOL. With the loss of this program, students at Southlawn MS will not be able to enter an instrumental music program until their 9th grade year at best. Can you imagine starting to do math, reading or science as a 9th grader? A program cannot survive without a thriving feeder, which currently exists at G.W. CARVER HIGH SCHOOL. G.W. CARVER HIGH SCHOOL takes pride in its Choral and Band program which is a tradition. Mr. Terry has cultivated so many students into budding artists. Former band director, Mr. Curtis Hollinger and Mr. Smart also have many students who have received scholarships to college and went further in their career because of them. If there is no band or choral curriculum offered at Southlawn which feeds into GW Carver HS. These schools will ultimately lose the best program offered in this county. If there is no band or choir at GW Carver HS the participation at football games will also be affected because many people will stop attending the games. We believe that these young people and all students in Montgomery County deserve access to quality music education in their schools. Sincerely, [Your name]

QUEST (Quality Education for Every Student) is a group of parents who have come together to fight for quality, equity and transparency in the Boston Public Schools. We can be found at facebook.com/questbps and can be reached at [email protected].

I have seen the devastating effect of LCFF flexibility on ROCP funding firsthand here in Orange County as well as in Los Angeles County. I work with CTE credentialed teachers who are unable to find teaching jobs because programs are being cut from high schools. I see students having fewer CTE elective options every year. Please help!

I have seen the effect on adult schools near my home in Yorba Linda and neighboring communities. We need to safeguard adult education programs from further funding erosion.

In 2012, the ability to repeat classes at community colleges was quietly taken away by the California legislature. Perhaps as an unintended consequence, seniors in the community can no longer benefit from physical and mental lifelong learning. We urge you immediately to restore this right to seniors in California's community colleges by exempting them from repeatability constraints.

Kids are stressed out! Children today are certainly more stressed out than their parents realize. One in five children said they worried a great deal about things going on in their lives, and nearly a third admitted to stress-related symptoms such as difficulty sleeping, according to the American Psychological Association's annual Stress in America report. Yet the same report found that only 8 percent of all parents were aware that their children experienced any stress at all. A regular meditation practice has been shown to reduce stress and anxiety; relax a busy mind; shift negative thoughts into positive ones; and lessen symptoms of depression. Researcher professor Felicia Huppert of the University of Cambridge said in a press release, "Psychological well-being has been linked to better learning, social relationships and academic performance, so the enhancement of well-being is likely to improve a range of outcomes in the school context."

University of Missouri - Kansas City has denied disabled students a student council for over 80 years. Now UMKC students and Student Government Association have approved a resolution to finally give disabled students a voice on the Student Government Association. But, the UMKC administration has refused to approve a Disabled Student Council as part of their annual budget. Please sign this petition in support of a University of Missouri Kansas City Disabled Student Council.

Dr. Sue Sisley's termination has effectively terminated the U.S. marijuana research that received approval from federal authorities, period.

My brother Paul Sanders is a public school teacher, 7th and 8th grade science. He is loved by all. And is known as coach sanders. Please ask for his story. There's so much to tell. And he has absolutely been done wrong. [email protected].

Millions of Americans depend on Pell Grants each year to be able to make college more affordable. Research has shown that need-based grant aid, like Pell Grants, increases college enrollment among low- and moderate-income individuals. But with college costs skyrocketing over the last three decades, Pell Grants have lost much of their purchasing power. The Middle Class CHANCE Act, introduced in the Senate by Sens. Mary Landrieu (LA) and Mazie Hirono (HI), and the House by Rep. Loretta Sanchez (CA-16) seeks to combat the financial hindrance on college access for these individuals by increasing the purchasing power of Pell. The bill increases the maximum award of Pell Grants, and restore year-round Pell Grants, among other things. Read more http://bit.ly/chance-act