The "BRAC bills" should not be enacted for the following reasons: 1) SB 672 & HB 1178 dilute the representation of city residents and African-Americans. These bills would radically reduce the number of school board members and eliminate provisions that help protect minority representation. Currently EBRPSS is comprised of 11 single-member districts. SB 672 & HB 1178 reduce the board to 6 single member districts with 1 at-large member. In addition, they eliminate the current requirement that the redistricting plan be approved by a majority of the Baton Rouge delegation as well as the stipulation that since the population of the city of Baton Rouge is more than half of the parish population, the city’s representation on the school board should be proportionate to its population. While the number of board members could be reduced (9 single member districts?) to allow for more efficient management, such a drastic reduction coupled with the elimination of protections for equitable representation would allow the board to be disproportionately influenced by voters in the unincorporated areas of the parish which are whiter and wealthier than those within Baton Rouge city limits. In short, these bills will likely dilute the voting power of city residents who are largely African-American. 2) SB 636 and HB 1177 require EBRPSS to create and manage a “common enrollment system” which does not improve but inhibits “choice.” Common enrollment systems are promoted by the Center for Reinventing Public Education (CRPE), the organization which helped BRAC write the legislation, as a means of allowing for effective cooperation between traditional public school systems and charter schools. EBRPSS would be required to not only manage the system but to include charter schools in this process at no cost to the charter schools. In New Orleans, 74 of the 85 schools participate in a common enrollment system called OneApp. There are no neighborhood schools in the decentralized system. Parents identify up to eight schools per child. The enrollment system then assigns the student to a school based upon the student’s needs and availability. Once assigned to a school, a student is expected to attend the entire year regardless of the parent’s or student’s satisfaction. If students wish to be “released” from their assigned schools after October 1st, they must petition the school board and the prospective school for permission to transfer. How does this improve choice? It’s not clear it does, but it does guarantee charter schools a steady student population every year. And while students must seek permission to be “released” from their assigned school, the charter school administrators are not prohibited from “releasing” students at their discretion. They retain the privilege of “counseling out” or expelling students they deem unsuitable. The personal testimony of Ashana Bigard, a parent and community advocate in New Orleans, regarding the effect of New Orleans’ OneApp offers a far different perspective than that of CRPE, BRAC, and the authors of these bills (1). 3) SB 636 and HB 1177’s restrictions on the per pupil allocation jeopardize our school system’s ability to maintain specialized programs for students with disabilities and exceptionalities, wrap around services, and magnet schools. According to the recent budget, EBRPSS spends 5.8% on administrative services compared to Jefferson Parish, a large district, which spends 9.1% and Zachary, a top rated district, which spends 6.8%. Clearly its administrative costs are not excessive. And yet, these bills require that the central administration keep no more than 3% of the per pupil amount allocated for each student. In order to comply with the mandate that the money follow the child, the remaining funds, excluding those for retirement and legacy costs, must be directed to the schools. Currently, EBRPSS is able to cut costs through economies of scale savings. (Because of its size EBRPSS is able to purchase in bulk, negotiate lower costs, and serve specialized populations more efficiently.) EBRPSS is then able to use those savings to fund schools for students with disabilities like Southdowns, magnets like BRCVPA, and wrap around services like extended day. This bill would prohibit the system from using those savings in this manner because the per pupil allocation must be directed to the school. Moreover, those savings are likely to be less if principals contract on their own because the system’s bulk purchasing power will be diminished. One of the primary advantages traditional public school systems have over charter schools is their ability to pool resources to serve the community as a whole. Rather than build upon that strength, these bills eliminate it. Once again the policies in these bills would benefit charter schools, not the children in our community. The threat to magnet schools is especially worth noting in light of the demographic realities of our area and the limitations of charter schools. Baton Rouge is geographically segregated. Magnet schools were created to satisfy the federal desegregation order. They are the only schools in Baton Rouge that serve a diverse student body and do so especially well. The awards EBRPSS’ magnet schools and their students have received are too numerous to mention. (A study performed in Connecticut found magnet school students consistently outperformed their peers in schools with more homogeneous populations no matter the race (2). ) In stark contrast, the Civil Rights Project at UCLA found that charter schools are effectively resegregating public education (3). To enact policies that privilege charter schools and jeopardize the schools system’s ability to maintain magnet programs demonstrates a lack of appreciation for diversity and a tacit acceptance of the resegregation of our public schools. 4) Senate Bill 636 and House Bill 1177 will curtail the educational opportunities of children living in pover...

I am a law student at the University of Pennsylvania Law School. Many of my colleagues came to law school in order to make a difference in the lives of the most marginalized members of our society. Upon graduation, my colleagues will be working to address racial justice, environmental justice, intimate partner violence, juvenile justice, education reform, LGBT equality, healthcare, and many other important issues. Many of us have taken on significant debt in order to pursue our dreams, and public interest law students will take jobs that will not pay nearly enough to make their debt manageable. Capping Public Service Loan Forgiveness at $57,500 will spell the end of public interest lawyering. Only the wealthiest members of our country will be able to afford to go to law school and then choose to work in a low-paying public service job while managing, in some cases, hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt accrued over undergraduate and graduate education. Senator Casey, we urge you to use your position on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee to oppose the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program in its current form in the 2015 budget.

Building Washington Elementary School "like new" is not only a step in the right direction to solving the achievement gap in Manchester, but it is a step in the right direction as a whole for the "City of Village Charm." Closing Washington in a effort to solve the short term problem of the cost to renovate our long neglected elementary schools will cause irreparable harm to the most vibrant and diverse neighborhood in Manchester. We, the undersigned, are showing our love of not only a great school with great teachers, but a neighborhood that is a part of making Manchester a great place for EVERYONE to live.

As nearly no funding exists for sustainability and environmental efforts on our campuses and students pay nearly 30% of their tuition dollars directly to pay the utility bill of UH Mānoa, the Student Sustainability Fund (SSF) makes students the leaders in funding sustainability to find solutions to issues like these. The SSF will directly benefit students, clubs, departments and our campus as a whole. The Student Sustainability Fund will be $4 a semester for each student and give UH a way to empower and engage students in active involvement in this arena. As the athletic fee is $50 a semester, a $4 fee for the SSF is a small step towards a brighter future for all those at UH Mānoa. Sustainability and greening efforts on hundreds of campuses typically result in a 1-3 year payback with a high return on investment. To manage projects like recycling, renewable energy, student gardens and more, financial support is necessary and the SSF will provide an initial push for the administration to then come on board with their own investments. Fore more information and access to a survey on the SSF, check out http://www.hawaii.edu/sustainability/ssch/ssf. The mission of the Student Sustainability Coalition of Hawaiʻi / Hui Haumāna Mālama Hawaiʻi is to cultivate a system of sustainable learning environments throughout Hawaiʻi.

PHS is putting on the up and coming production of "West Side Story." As you can imagine, as with any musical, this is a tremendous undertaking. However, tragically, there are not costume or prop departments,so all things are left to the students to do and this creates unneeded stress on them while they are busy trying to perfect lines. There apparently was enough money to build a showcase glass for athletes and their achievements in the New Gymnasium but when it comes to the theater, we are constantly lacking. This is nothing short of a great inconvenience to say the least and it needs to be addressed at once.

Hydration is essential for everybody. It effects mood, energy, school performance, and your over-all health. Students should not be prevented from fullfilling their health needs.

We're Concerned Parents of Fiske 5th Graders (for 2014/15) - Meredith Ripley - Tama Leventhal

The children in the town currently have no local playground and the playground at Cape May Elementary School is sat waiting to be used! Local residents to Cape May, New Jersey please show your support by signing below this petition to activate Cape May Board of Education into doing the right thing and getting it open before the good weather is here and our children want to let off some energy and have fun nearby. BOARD OF EDUCATION MEETING WILL TAKE PLACE ON THURSDAY APRIL 10, 2014 AT 6PM (ELEMENTARY SCHOOL LIBRARY). PLEASE JOING US TO SHARE YOUR OPINION AND HELP US TO CONVINCE BOARD OF EDUCATION THAT THIS PLAYGROUND IS SO MUCH NEEDED FOR LOCAL RESIDENTS

I am starting this petition because there were protesters outside of my daughter's high school. They had literature with graphic and repulsive images of what were labeled as aborted fetuses which they tried to hand out to any student who passed by. They also tried to engage students in theological discussion about abortion. Again, I am not trying to circumvent their right to express their beliefs, I just feel that this place and time are not appropriate.

Dear Dr. Michael Kirst, Many of us send our children to school every day with the hope that they will be in a safe and secure environment. We send them to school thinking that the best for them is waiting behind school doors, but what if it wasn’t? Sometimes, outgoing and happy children come home feeling sad, irritated, and miserable. And, they tell their parents that they don’t want to go to school anymore and won’t say why. Parents are left guessing what is going on? Indeed, children who fear going to school maybe reacting to being bullied at school. There are several reasons why children get bullied. Sometimes, children are victims of bullying because they are smart and dedicated to their schoolwork. Other times children get bullied because of their personal appearances (too skinny, overweight, and obese). There is also bullying due to racism. Minority children who speak very little English are targeted as well. Some children even end up committing suicide due to bullying that wasn’t able to be stopped. As concerned parents we would like to know why our child is frightened and refuses to go to school. We are proposing that cameras be installed in classrooms and on elementary school campuses throughout California. With evolving technology, security cameras are able to capture both video and audio feed, so no one will be left guessing about who the aggressor is and the number of students who are being targeted. As children are being bullied and victimized by their fellow students, and in some cases teachers and school employees, no person can keep constant watch. As classrooms grow larger, and staff numbers decrease, security cameras within the schools provide the additional sets of eyes that are needed to help protect children while in school. According the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, in elementary schools, twice as many ethnic minorities report being bullied because of their ethnicity. While video cameras cannot stop the racism that a person holds inside, these cameras will hold students accountable for their bullying actions. When non-English speaking students are harassed or bullied, they will not have to rely solely on translators to relay the story of what has occurred. These cameras will be the eyes and the ears of the school. These cameras will provide an accurate translation of day’s events, and provide comfort and solace to students and parents who most likely are the victims of school bullying. While no amount of video surveillance can prevent every instance of bullying and harassment in schools, providing these cameras in schools will be a monumental step towards significantly decreasing the harassment and violence that does occur in schools. This is an opportunity for California schools to provide a safer environment and enhance the educational experience for students, educators, and administrators. Sincerely, Alivia, Lindsay, Margot, Kristy and Jessica

Sexual assault is a serious and prevalent issue on college campuses with horrible repercussions. This issue has escalated so much that President Obama recently created a task force to protect students from sexual assault. In order to promote prevention and reduce the number of assaults, we must make students aware of the gravity of this problem and empower them to prevent it.

District 56 is considering cutting the only class of 4K for those who don't qualify by low income or test scores due to the loss of a state grant. My daughter Lena attended this program. Her educational experience in this program was outstanding. This exceptional program is vital for all students. Please sign the petition to fund 4K in District 56!