Liberty School is in need of an additional entrance or exit immediately. Our children are at risk if we continue to use the current process. There is not enough parking to only have one line of traffic flowing.

We parents value excellence in our teachers. We value their ability to effectively teach and to inspire our children to learn and develop myriad types of success throughout their lives. Our teachers should never need to compete with each other in this way; they should work together for the good of all of our children. This competition for “merit” pay will also lead to an increased emphasis on testing and teaching to those tests – rather than on teaching our children how to learn and how to develop their best talents and abilities. It will discriminate against teachers who work with ELL students, Special Needs students and students who live in poverty, and lead to an exodus of experienced teachers from high poverty districts.

The problem in New Bedford is not the quality of teaching, it is poverty, high needs, and a lack of adequate support. An over-emphasis on test scores only makes things worse. We need to teach, and to value, the whole child. According to statistics available through the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, in New Bedford 73 percent of students come from families with low income, 78 percent of students are considered “high needs” (as compared to 47% statewide), and 21 percent do not have English as their first language. Despite these challenges, expenditure for the schools dropped by $3 million between 2011 and 2012, and per pupil spending is below the state average. Indeed, in the 2012-2013 school year at least 100 educator positions were lost to cuts, almost half of those at New Bedford High School. Firing half the teachers at New Bedford High School will not improve education or help students. Turnaround plans are notoriously used to break contractual obligations, introduce unqualified new faculty from fast-track programs such as Teach for America, feed distrust and disrespect, and open the door for public education to be dominated by private interests. This is not how we create strong community schools that value the whole child. If you care about student well-being and achievement, you should fight for economic justice, give teachers resources that they need, recognize and celebrate the critical work teachers do that is not measured by a test score, and make room for teachers, parents and community to share and grow knowledge in a spirit of trust, commitment, and goodwill.

(Facial hair, piercings, and brand types on clothing) Facial hair: I think that one, facial hair is not an issue due to the fact that its human nature. Plus, if my mom, dad or guardian says that i can walk out of the house, and go to school with said facial hair, than it should not be an issue. Piercings: I say that once again, if my mom, dad or guardian says that i am aloud to have and wear said piercing (being facial or not) than it shouldn't be a problem. Iv had more attention drawn to me when i don't have my piercings (gauges) in than when they are, simply because it looks gross. Brand type on clothing: I don't understand how we can go to a school where i can walk around with a cross on my shirt or other said clothing, but if the cross is flipped upside down it is not aloud and will result in a write up. Its not just that though, i think that any religious view should be aloud to be expressed while on school, and once again if my mom, dad or guardian is alright with it, than it should not be an issue. I also want to point out that if i am not correct, colleges will look back on your grades, test scores, attendance, and any record of disciplinary actions that had to of been taken place (write ups, pink slips, conduct marks, ect) i don't think getting in trouble and having marks on your record for colleges to see, when i couldn't wear a type of shirt, or because i had some hair growing on myself, which comes natural.

TEZCHER NEED OFF DAYS

To create quality educational opportunities for the children of Camden, NJ.

With the national student debt average now over $29 thousand -- up 10.5% in a year -- students are in desperate need of a break. Senators like Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Jack Reed (D-RI) have been unhappy and dissatisfied with the interest rate hikes from July. They've been working tirelessly to make sure that students and families are high on the agenda for 2014. Senators Warren (D-MA), Reed (D-RI), and Durbin (D-IL) are proposing some major changes to student loans – among them include “forcing colleges to pay the Education Department if they have high default rates and allowing student debt to be wiped out in bankruptcy” and “calling to revive a dormant grant program for poor students that could give the federal government more influence over state higher education policy.” Please tell these politicians that they have our support!

Why it's problematic: It objectifies and sexualizes young women. It promotes the idea that a woman's body is inherently sexual, and that it is her job to cover it up to avoid provocation or suffer the consequences. It instills a harmful mindset that "boys will be boys", and are not responsible for their own actions. This mentality feeds into rape culture, giving way to victim blaming. The code is heteronormative, and disproportionately will harm LGBTQ+ students for not conforming to its standards. From the students: 1) As a student who has been told by a teacher that I was "trying too hard to get a boyfriend" because of my outfit, I am appalled by not only the idea that every action by my gender is catered to the desires of a man, but also by the culture of self hatred and blame that this terminology creates. (Hillary) 2) At an assembly, an assistant principal posed this question to us, “How are boys supposed to learn when their classmates are sexier than their teachers?” To this I ask firstly, why is every action taken by someone who is not male catered to what will please a male? And secondly, if this logic is true, why are LGBTQ women's quality of education not hampered by the way other girls dress? Why are LGBTQ men not overly distracted to the point of academic failure by boys wearing tanktops, shorts, or football leotards? (Maddy) 3) This culture of persecution of LGBTQ/gay students at Churchill HAS to stop. The internalization of my own desire to be feminine (and perhaps wear a dress) which was enflamed by administrative policy eventually led me to have panic attacks and a hospitalization later in life. (Mario) Please sign this petition so our school will hear our voices, and work with us to make our learning environment safer.

To ensure that the damaged reputation of University of the Cumberlands is restored and action is taken.

My children attend Liberty View Elementary School which is about to lose the privilege of having Service Dogs. I am starting this petition because I believe the Service Dogs we have had the opportunity to share our school with are an important part of the educational experience our children have at Liberty View Elementary. I think removing these dogs from our school will have a negative impact on our children. I believe these dogs provide the kids with a sense of warmth which enhances their learning experience.

My daughter is a student in the Farmingdale School District. Over the last few years, I have watched her well-rounded education transform into one that focuses primarily on test-prep. This misguided focus has resulted in curriculum changes that are developmentally inappropriate and limit critical thinking skills. This petition is the first step for our community to tell NYSED that their policies are hurting our children and schools. Our children are more than test scores, and their education should not be standardized!

The Volcano School of Arts and Sciences (VSAS) is a 188 student, decade old, tuition free, state financed, State of Hawaii Charter Public School, opens to all. The VSAS receives about ½ the annual State funding per student as do surrounding ‘regular’ public schools. Yet the students at VSAS consistently academically score higher than those students in surrounding public schools. VSAS students learn in rotting tents and WWII Quonset huts reached by a rutted dirt and cinder road. The school auditorium is a sheet of Vinyl on large hoops, open to the rainforest weather on both ends. The playground is a former plantation equipment dump. Shards of metal continually work their way up underfoot where the children exercise and play at recess. The school is on leased land with high, annually increasing rent. The school’s burgeoning lease rent is the second highest line item in the school budget. As the rent increases, the school is forced to decrease enrollment to make ends meet. Almost a century ago citizens of Volcano gave another plot of land, designated as for school use, to the state (via the Territory). The state now leases that land back to the VSAS. The VSAS community has cobbled up enough money (in addition to paying their taxes to support State public schools) to pay for a new school plan done by an AIA registered architect, and to generate the required environmental assessment, archeological study, road traffic analysis, zoning and land use documents, flora and fauna analysis, flood insurance zone map and studies of available water, telephone electricity and sewage disposal resources for the new school. All are required by either the county or state. Thousands of hours of citizen volunteer efforts have been expended. Meanwhile, the kids trudge the dirt road to their rotting tents to leaking Quonset huts. With constant pleading by volcano citizens, the elected State Legislature has twice appropriated $618,000 of State construction and improvement funds specifically directed to the VSAS. The Governor of the State Hawaii, exercising virtual line item veto, has for two years, arbitrarily withheld these funds. Repeated pleas for their release have been ignored. Meanwhile, in August of this year the governor ‘released’ $1.8 million in construction funds almost exclusively directed for ‘regular’ public school athletic facilities, including a new ‘press booth’ for school athletic events. More ‘administrative’ offices and salaries and fringe benefits for more state employees were also added. The Hawaii County Fire Marshal has warned that the present VSAS facilities are unsafe for use by Volcano’s children. We are struggling to educate our children in one of the fastest growing areas in the state. We have given to the state land on which to build a decent new school. Our present ‘Third World’ school is already producing better educated children than nearby public schools. We have cobbled up $156,000 to contribute to our ‘bootstrap’ building effort. We have been successful in having our legislature re appropriate funds for a decent, safe school only to have the effort arbitrarily strangled by our Governor.