43,000 kids hang in the balance as Gov. Jerry Brown decides whether or not he will get them access to quality preschool, or leave them on waiting lists. Every kid deserves the same strong start. Early learning programs not only help kids do better in school, but also increase their chances of going to college and getting a good job. On June 15, the Legislature approved a budget that will create 43,000 new full-day preschool slots over a multi-year period and make investments to improve the quality of early learning programs. This is a big step forward for our kids, but we still need Gov. Brown to sign it. In his original budget Gov. Brown didn’t allocate any additional funding for early learning, leaving our kids shut out and behind. We need more people to speak up and show the governor this is a priority. We’ve only got a few days to convince Gov. Brown to invest in early education. Our littlest learners are depending on us to push him to do the right thing.

We are residents of Cherrydale and nearby neighborhoods. Many of our children are directly affected by the middle school overcrowding crisis facing Arlington County Public Schools. As taxpayers, we are also impacted by the manner in which the school system addresses this crisis.

During my spring 2014 semester, I received a 'F' for "class participation/attendance" in one of my graduate courses. Immediately, I contacted my academic advisor to file an academic grievance. However, I was told that professors are not required to provide documentation of how the class participation portion of the "class participation/attendance" evaluation is calculated. As a result of not having this policy, I received a B+ in the course and my 4.0 GPA dropped to a 3.95 GPA. This is an important issue because students receive an average of 15% of their final course grade from "class participation/attendance" without a standardized policy on how to perform.

Sallie Mae is funding opposition to the legislation in Congress to allow lowering student loans interest rates. My Grandson owes them over $100,000 at 6.4 percent interest. A reduction of even a percent would help. http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/11/1306172/-Who-s-fighting-student-loan-reform-Why-the-lender-of-nbsp-course

Mayor Quan has a chance to help kids in Oakland, and across the whole country. Later this month, the Council of Mayors will consider resolutions in support of expanding quality early education to every child in America. Kids who attend preschool not only do better in school as they grow older -- they're also more likely to go to college and get a good job. But for many families, a quality preschool program is simply too expensive or not available. Last year a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress that would help every child get access to quality preschool. We need more support from the local level to push this measure forward. Support from Mayor Quan and her colleagues is the kind of local support that we will need to win. What we need to do right now is to demonstrate widespread support from people like you.

Mayor Garcetti has a chance to help kids in Los Angeles, and across the whole country. Later this month, the Council of Mayors will consider resolutions in support of expanding quality early education to every child in America. Kids who attend preschool not only do better in school as they grow older -- they're also more likely to go to college and get a good job. But for many families, a quality preschool program is simply too expensive or not available. Last year a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress that would help every child get access to quality preschool. We need more support from the local level to push this measure forward. Support from Mayor Garcetti and his colleagues is the kind of local support that we will need to win. What we need to do right now is to demonstrate widespread support from people like you.

Mayor Johnson has a chance to help kids in Sacramento, and across the whole country. Later this month, the Council of Mayors will consider resolutions in support of expanding quality early education to every child in America. Kids who attend preschool not only do better in school as they grow older -- they're also more likely to go to college and get a good job. But for many families, a quality preschool program is simply too expensive or not available. Last year a bipartisan bill was introduced in Congress that would help every child get access to quality preschool. We need more support from the local level to push this measure forward. Support from Mayor Johnson and his colleagues is the kind of local support that we will need to win. What we need to do right now is to demonstrate widespread support from people like you.

Since 2010, inadequate levels of state funding have forced the Shippensburg Area School District (SASD) to repeatedly raise property taxes and eliminate 65 full-time teaching and support staff positions. SASD has eliminated the middle school shop and family and consumer science programs, many kindergartners sit in classrooms crowded with 26 students, young children who struggle to read have lost their reading teachers, and many class sizes are have increased to levels where effective teaching and learning are becoming a serious challenge. Our community and our children cannot afford another year of inadequate state funding to our schools. Our quality of life and the future of our children are dependent on the legislature’s ability to do the difficult work of governing and adopting a responsible budget that meets the needs of our communities.

Hopkinton has not had the chance to thoroughly discuss the new online high-stakes test called PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career) as a replacement for MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System) and what it will mean for our kids, teachers, and K-12 schools.

Student loan debt represents 1/15th of the U.S. economy. That means 1 out of 15 dollars is being funneled to a few oligarchs, rather than being invested in new business. Let's stop the upward flow of money to the entitled patrician class, where it is hoarded in offshore accounts, and get this money into the hands of those who would be entrepreneurs and investors. Future forgiveness does little to help the country TODAY. Let's get the American economy moving again through small business and innovation!

We are asking all Anne Arundel County families (which include all current Monarch families) to support the opening of Monarch High School. Many of our children are looking for a smaller high school experience with a special educational philosophy (e.g., expeditionary learning) that enhances their educational path. Moreover, many children who enter the county's Monarch elementary and middle school programs want to continue within this unique learning culture at the high school level. Let's join together to give all of our children MORE CHOICE when it comes to high school options in our county!

The Westford Community has not had the chance to thoroughly discuss the new assessment test called PARCC (Partnership for Assessment of Readiness for College and Career) which may, or may not be a replacement for MCAS (Massachusetts Comprehensive Assessment System). As a result, we think it's best for Westford to hold off implementing PARCC for the 2014-2015 school year.