Studies now show that providing low-income communities access to full-time, high-quality preschool could entirely eliminate the achievement gap. [1] With 7 out of every 10 PA children lacking access to high quality early learning now is the time to act and support the children of Pennsylvania. [2] An investment in early childhood education is an investment in our future; with an $8 return for every $1 invested. [3] Now THAT is bang for your buck! Don't wait to make a difference. Act now. 1. http://www.minnpost.com/learning-curve/2014/01/new-study-high-quality-preschool-poor-kids-under-3-would-eliminate-achievemen 2. http://www.buckscountycouriertimes.com/news/state/pa/report-percent-of-pa-children-can-t-access-preschool/article_bfb11e27-be5a-5796-a24c-30b3d50f2da2.html 3. http://www.ncsl.org/research/human-services/new-research-early-education-as-economic-investme.aspx

UPDATE: CPS lawyers are questioning students without parental consent. Yesterday was Drummond. Today Saucedo. This is simply intimidation and an attempt to punish students, parents, and teachers for exercising their rights. Please sign & share to support us! My daughter attends Saucedo Elementary School - where the push to opt of the test started. My daughter's education is a result of good teaching and not standardized testing. We stood up against CPS for the right reasons.

I am distressed that Missouri ranks so low in education funding. Our children deserve better, and our legislators should know that their constituents demand better.

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 on facebook at facebook.com/questbps and can be reached at [email protected].

We as parents, concerned community members and tax-payers in the Kingston City School District are very concerned about the proposed approval and acceptance of the Extended Learning Time Grant Program. This program would mandate, without any parental in-put or opt-out availability, that our children remain in school for an additional 100 minutes in the middle schools and an additional 125 minutes in the 4 Title 1 elementary schools. This is an unreasonable demand placed upon our children (physically, mentally and emotionally) and robs the family unit of quality family time. This program would negatively affect community based businesses that cater to children and families and risk their financial stability and/or closure. Refuse the Grant!!!

I am an alum from Jones High School (one of the schools on the chopping block). With parents and stakeholders standing up for schools across the city, Houston Independent School District (HISD) must use creativity and innovation to meet its challenges. I will not stand idly by as HISD closes schools in low-income neighborhoods. Public education should be just that: public, and accessible. Where will our children go to school when these schools close? Across town? And who will have to pay for that? Our community. HISD, don't close down Houston schools. We need to invest in our children, not bail out on them. Take our schools off the chopping block and keep them open!

For too long, students have been impacted by a system of overly harsh discipline while there are common sense alternatives that develop strong, healthy, school communities. The current system has had a devastating impact on students, especially students of color, LGBT students, students with disabilities, and ELL students who are disproportionately impacted, as well as taxpayers who continue to shoulder the cost of this ineffective system. -Research into state records has shown that in the 2010-2011 school year, Illinois students lost 1,117,453 instructional days due to disciplinary actions. -The overuse of exclusionary discipline contributes to the dire fiscal situation in Illinois. It costs six times more to incarcerate a student than to educate one. -While the impact of exclusionary discipline touches all students, regardless of race or gender, a 2012 study of federal civil rights data found that Illinois suspends proportionally more African-American students than any other state in the U.S., including a Black-White suspension disparity that is the highest in the country. In Peoria, a Black student is 4 times more likely to be suspended than a White student; in Chicago, a Black student is 4.9 times more likely; in Proviso, a Black student is 10 times more likely. Signed, VOYCE

Undocumented students would like to apply to a University of Tennessee (UT) school, but would be denied based on their immigration status. There is no legal reason that UT bans undocumented students, they do it by choice. It's time for UT to lift the ban on undocumented students and give every student an opportunity to pursue their dreams of higher education.

My name is Dawn Neely-Randall and this is my 24th year of teaching. I am becoming increasingly alarmed at the amount of test prep, testing, retesting, and data-collecting that is being done based on phantom test scores in our nation's schools. My knees are shaking, but I am speaking out on behalf of my students who are expected to test for hours and hours yet again next month. Our legislators need to do their homework on child development and the adults in our children's lives need to say Enough is Enough!!! Please advocate for SANER Standardized Testing Practices on behalf of our children.

Parents for Public Schools of Syracuse has been urging our elected officials to make school funding equitable for more than 10 years. With an ever decreasing tax base and an increase in the number of children living in poverty, the inequity has reached crisis proportions. The Syracuse City School District is dependent on the state for the majority of the school funding and the residents do not vote for a school budget. It’s time to take the politics out of education funding and start equalizing the funding between poor and affluent districts.

Closing Heritage Heights directly effects all WNYers. It will effect our community, our jobs, our schools and our economy.

I believe students have the ability to make changes big or small. It would bring more money in for Platte Canyon and it would allow for one more activity for our youth. Activites are hard to come by in our small community. Keeping kids active has been proven to keep kids out of trouble.