Since 2004, the State has been siphoning off approximately 25% of the stable county property taxes allocated to K-14 schools-- $7 billion this year. The State transfers this money away from public education and spends it on other State priorities unrelated to education. Only 3 of CA's 58 counties report this transfer to voters and taxpayers. In Alameda County, 41% of property taxes are reported spent on schools. After the state takes $272 million (over a quarter of a billion), the actual amount delivered to schools is only 27%. In L.A. County, the amount pilfered by the state was $2.1 billion, leaving the schools with only 20% of their county property taxes vs a reported 41%-- less than HALF. In San Francisco County, the actual vs. reported percentages are 18% vs. 34%. Schools deserve to receive their assigned share of the property taxes we pay like everyone else. The state is not permitted to touch the property tax revenue of ANY OTHER recipient (public hospital, park, library, fire, flood, mosquito abatement districts, cities, counties, etc). Sign NOW to give equal protection to stable, reliable funding for schools and community colleges. Let's ask the legislature to put this on the 2014 ballot - they made this back room deal and sneaky initiative, let's give voters a chance to decide if they want to keep it. California's Constitution (Article 8) states that our government will first set aside enough money for public education through the university as our #1 spending priority. Improve gov't transparency, increase reliability of school funding, and defend our State's Constitution -- all without raising taxes -- SIGN TODAY!

Since 2004, the State has been siphoning off approximately 25% of the stable county property taxes allocated to K-14 schools-- $7 billion this year. The State transfers this money away from public education and spends it on other State priorities unrelated to education. Only 3 of CA's 58 counties report this transfer to voters and taxpayers. In Alameda County, 41% of property taxes are reported spent on schools. After the state takes $272 million (over a quarter of a billion), the actual amount delivered to schools is only 27%. In L.A. County, the amount pilfered by the state was $2.1 billion, leaving the schools with only 20% of their county property taxes vs a reported 41%-- less than HALF. In San Francisco County, the actual vs. reported percentages are 18% vs. 34%. Schools deserve to receive their assigned share of the property taxes we pay like everyone else. The state is not permitted to touch the property tax revenue of ANY OTHER recipient (public hospital, park, library, fire, flood, mosquito abatement districts, cities, counties, etc). Sign NOW to give equal protection to stable, reliable funding for schools and community colleges. California's Constitution (Article 8) states that our government will first set aside enough money for public education through the university as our #1 spending priority. Improve gov't transparency, increase reliability of school funding, and defend our State's Constitution-- SIGN TODAY!

Our children's education should be top priority. Closing Verona Elementary will only hurt that. They will be put into classrooms with far to many kids and not be able to get the one on one help they may need. Plus the time they will have to spend on buses just to get to school. The welfare and education of our children should be the main goal. Not closing another school. Make cuts elsewhere to keep Verona Elementary open.

While we thank you for putting Culver Currents in print and delivering it to our homes, we believe that in a district with a significant population of English learners and a strong Spanish immersion program, it is not too much to ask to meet the requirements of the new Local Control Funding Formula to fully engage the parents of high need students by making Culver Currents a bilingual publication. - Culver City PEERS (Parents and Educators for Resources and Equity in Schools)

In NYC, we can begin to phase out Charter Schools that are illegally located in Public Schools and paying no rent. We can begin to phase back in Public Schools, bringing in with us what works. The list of problems of Charter Schools co-locating within Public Schools is long. The bad has exceeded the good. Thus, it's time to correct the problem. Creating Academies and or Houses within Public Schools can and will work. This will give students a feel of a smaller school with the access to public school resources and funding. We need to turn our schools back into community schools that can and will provide excellence. Especially after the winter we had in New York, we don't need to send our children miles away from their homes for a good education. Besides, we also need the space to lessen class size and for Pre-K students who will be entering school in September 2014. Eva Moskowitz, Republican businesses, and the former Mayor of NYC allegedly made millions, even billions off of our children. It's time to stop this mess. I am not saying Charter Schools shouldn't exist. Keep the the excellent ones, which are actually few, and the money used for media campaigns, and campaign contributions among the financially elite, can be used to purchase properties to house Charter Schools. What I am saying is develop and enhance Public Schools, and stop taking public money to make a few folks richer at the expense of our children.

The Moon Area School District (MASD) has decided on March 10th, 2014 to have the first day of school be August 18th, 2014. The fact that they didn't confirm this date until March 10th, 2014, is preposterous. A lot of families in corporate America have to have their vacation picks in by January 1st. A lot of families, plan, book and pay for their vacations before March 10th, 2014. This should have been a decision made in 2013 by the School Board. Adequate time was not given for families to make different arrangements.

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!