Dallas ISD School Board members will meet to vote on a proposal to turn two closed-down schools in Oak Cliff and South Dallas (Julia C. Frazier Elementary and N. W. Harllee Elementary) into early childhood education centers. This would be a big win for Dallas ISD parents living in these neighborhoods, but as of right now, there aren’t enough votes on the school board to pass it!

According to OK.gov, on average in America, nearly 12,000 people die every year in DUI-related accidents, and 900,000 are arrested each year for DUI/DWI.  In 2012, there were 4,291 alcohol-related motor vehicle crashes in Oklahoma, which represents 6.1% of the total reported crashes.  Among these alcohol-related crashes, there were 261 fatalities, which is a 7% increase from 2011, as well as 2,892 persons injured in these crashes.  Although these are broad numbers, they are still the facts of the dangers of drunk driving.  To narrow this down and make it a little more specific and relevant to who our petition is targeting, we will provide you with a few more numbers: 56 of these fatalities were persons between the ages of 16 and 25, and 44 of those 56 fatalities were intoxicated drivers.  Derived from the total number of crashes, 1,303 were caused by intoxicated drivers within this 16-25 year age range.  In the grand scheme of things, these numbers are fairly high for this age range. The facts are all here.  Accidents, injuries, and casualties do occur because of drunk driving.  This issue is a concern for the students, the university, and the community and something should be done to alleviate this problem as soon as possible.  By starting this petition out locally, we are hoping to have the support of the student body and the community, then branch out and have the support of the state, and maybe even eventually, the support of the nation.

TRiO is important to those it impacts directly and indirectly. This petition is for everyone who realizes how much TRiO means to the success of students in Washington State.

New York State Alternate Assessment for Students with Severe Disabilities (NYSAA) has, since its inception, failed to support students with severe disabilities in approaching their individualized educational goals, and has always been an inaccurate reflection of how our schools provide meaningful, functional education for students with severe disabilities. This year, in connection with the increased pressure for schools to align with the Common Core Curriculum, NYSAA has made a number of changes to the assessment and administration process. These changes have resulted in an assessment that is even less functional, and often downright inappropriate, offensive, and even discriminatory against students who have severe disabilities. The assessment is incredibly labor-intensive, and takes as much as 80% of classtime and preparation time between the months of October and February. As a teacher of students with severe disabilities, I have witnessed first-hand the continued, and increased marginalization of this community due to this inappropriate assessment. I urge you to listen to our teachers and families, and focus the attention of our state and national leaders on this issue. The goal of this petition is to raise awareness about this issue on a local, state, and national level, and to bring a discussion to the state and national levels about how we can begin to plan systemic change. This petition does not offer a singular solution or alternative to this assessment program, but rather suggests that it is time for us to recognize the inappropriateness and ineffectiveness of this program, and to demand discussion about how it will be changed. New York State is not alone is dealing with these issues, which vary from state to state, and are the product of a trend resulting from increased focus on a nationally aligned Core Curriculum and increased pressure on states to assess teacher effectiveness. It is the view of the creator of this petition that assessment of students with severe disabilities should be aligned with Individualized Education Plan (IEP) goals, and changes should be made in the way we evaluate the IEP process, and provide quality controls to ensure quality IEPs which are currently not in place. Furthermore, teacher effectiveness should be assessed based on how well teachers create functional goals and adaptations that provide meaningful opportunities to access general curricular areas, as well as compensatory skills areas that are essential for these students. In order to make systemic change, we must first recognize a systemic problem, and then bring our consensus to the state and national levels for a real discussion.

Schools need to be accountable for the actions of students who bully other students in the schools. We are losing to many kids lives over this epidemic. The time to do something.. IS NOW!!! Thank you!!

Schools have been mandated to use the Common Core Learning Standards. They are not required to use EngageNY for curriculum. They are allowed to develop their own curriculum as long as they align it with Common Core.

Cami Anderson, the Christie-appointed Superintendent of Newark Public Schools, is escalating her attack on OUR public schools. This time she is attempting to further destabilize schools and neighborhoods by destroying the relationships between students and our teachers - dedicated teachers that we rely on to help build a strong foundation for our future. Cami is requesting permission from state Education Commissioner Christopher Cerf to use a “waiver or equivalency” to fire hundreds of education workers with no consideration for seniority or tenure. Yes, this shreds the basic rights of union workers, but in the teaching profession it also hurts students like us who rely on stable relationships with experienced and professional school staff. Research proves that high turnover rates in schools hurt students, especially the children of working class families who are already economically disadvantaged. And let us be clear, Anderson’s One Newark plan and her attack on Newark’s public schools disproportionately targets low-income, working-class communities and communities of color. Anderson desperately needs this waiver to remove tenured teachers so she can fill a $100 million budget shortfall over the next three years that SHE CREATED by hiring hundreds of inexperienced TFA teachers to push older, higher paid teachers out of their schools, and by promoting the expansion of charter schools that funnel money out of traditional public schools. She figures that if she can get rid of the highest paid education workers – who earned that higher pay through years of dedicated work on behalf of our fellow students, then she can fill much of that budget gap, AND eliminate unionized workers at the same time. Her Christie-appointed colleague, Commissioner of Education Christopher Cerf, is expected to approve her request…just days before he leaves his post on March 5th. How convenient. As students in Newark Public Schools, our teachers influence and support extends far beyond what is in text books. Our teachers and school staff have spent countless hours of their lives advising, teaching, and simply talking with us during our lunchtimes, after school, at sporting events, plays, concerts, college days, and MANY other school related activities. The proof of their work is clearly evident in all of the data. Newark Public Schools met the standards for gaining local control from the nearly two-decade long occupation set by the state QSAC rubric, a measure established by the state to protect their control over our schools. After meeting those standards the state moved the goal post in order to maintain control and prevent Newark’s communities from having a voice in our schools. It is clear that Christie’s control over our schools is not out of concern for academic achievement or student success – it is an attack on Newark’s working-class communities and an effort to turn public money and public necessities into private profit. Anderson has a vision for Newark’s schools. Privatize the system, socialize the costs, and subject students to inexperienced Teach For America (TFA) teachers working for poverty wages under dictatorial conditions. This is not fair to dedicated teachers who have given decades of their lives to Newark’s students. This is not fair to us - the students - who rely on their training, knowledge and experience as teachers and educators to help us build the foundations we need in our lives to be successful. This is not fair to Newark’s communities, to our city or to our future. Kristin Towcaniuk & Jelani Walker Newark Students Union & NJ Communities United Members

Less than half of California's kids are enrolled in preschool. That's a huge problem, because by her 5th birthday, 90% of a child's brain is developed. So when she steps into a classroom for the first time as a kindergartner, she is already 10 steps behind her peers who went to preschool - and she may never catch up. Prek graduates are better prepared for academic and lifetime success, while at-risk youth who don't go prek are 25% more likely to drop out of high school and 70% more likely to commit a crime and become incarcerated. The decision is up to Gov. Brown - will California invest in high-quality early education for every child or will California perpetuate the school-to-prison pipeline?

Administration of this meaningless test means students will lose hours of valuable classroom instruction time, disrupting as many as ten school days. The ISAT is not used for any valid purpose and will not be given after the 2013-2014 school year. CPS plans to force this test on students at the same time that students also are required to take NWEA MAP tests, new Interim Benchmark Tests, REACH Performance Tasks, ACCESS tests, NAEP tests, pilot Common Core tests and more. Over-testing of students has come with real costs to their education. Students need fewer tests and more access to arts, languages and a broad, rich curriculum. Students need meaningful and educationally appropriate assessments, not more standardized tests. The concerns of parents and educators have been ignored for too long! We support the parents, teachers and students who have taken action for better schools and against over-testing.

A college education today is no longer a guarantee into the job market but is considered mandatory by many employers so it is of utmost importance that we provide the new generation with the necessary tools to make college more of a reality. Almost every accredited university requires an applicant to take either the ACT or SAT tests, sometimes both, yet preparation classes for these exams are time consuming and costly, presenting an injustice when students are not able to afford these extracurricular luxuries. Currently there is a problem of systemic discrimination in college admittance processes, specifically to do with standardized aptitude testing. This petition for in-school mandatory SAT/ACT and college preparatory classes is not about catering specifically to the entrance exams. More than that, it is about preparing disadvantaged, low-income, and minority students for whatever exams, essays, and applications that they will need to have an in-depth understanding in order to compete for college entry. The test prep industry rakes in $1 billion annually with expert classes, such as Kaplan, offered at $300. If a student cannot afford to pay for test prep books and classes that are privately offered, then they cannot equally compete with other students who have a leg up on the competition. The purpose of this petition is to help level the playing field and give every student an equal opportunity to be prepared for the college application process. This is not to say that every student be required to enroll in these prep classes, but that each public high school be required to at least offer the course as an elective so that each student may choose if they wish to enroll or not. Please join us in signing this petition to promote educational equality and give the future generation the resources they require to make a difference.

Since taking office in 2011, Gov. Corbett has expanded tax breaks for corporations and the energy industry while cutting $1 billion from education statewide. Under his leadership alone, 24 schools have been closed, and 4,000 teachers and school support staff have been laid off. Take a stand right now and send a letter to the governor demanding that he restore and protect public education for all.

A decade ago, New York led the nation by allowing undocumented students to pay instate tuition rates at its public universities. Now, we have the opportunity to make greater progress on this issue by giving these students access to state financial aid. This will allow more students to attend college, graduate, and reach their full potential. Earlier this week, Governor Cuomo stated he would sign the NY Dream Act if it reached his desk. Today, the NY State Assembly passed the bill. Now, we have to pressure the NY State Senate to do the same. Tell the NY State Senate: Pass the NY Dream Act now!