When Governor Christie took office in 2010, he pulled plans to renovate or rebuild Trenton Central High School. Nearly four years later that school – and schools across New Jersey - have continued to crumble while Christie’s appointed CEO of the School Development Authority - Marc Larkins – drags his feet and stalls repair efforts at every chance he gets. Now the Times of Trenton is reporting that the Trenton Public Schools are taking the School Development Authority to court pointing to the fact that the SDA has ignored the ‘abysmal, deplorable and dangerous conditions’ in the public schools. Newark Public Schools are in the same state of deterioration – walls and ceilings are falling in, bathrooms are broken and toxic materials like flaking and cracked asbestos still line aging pipes and fire barriers. The physical conditions of our public schools create awful learning environments for public school students and literally threaten the health, safety and well-being of our children. Without repairs in public schools across the state, it’s only a matter of time before students are injured by a falling ceiling or poisoned by asbestos or toxic mold. Governor Christie and Marc Larkins are bad for our public schools, bad for our children and bad for New Jersey! Please join our effort to hold them accountable and create safe and healthy learning environments for our kids! In Solidarity, Trina Scordo Executive Director NJ Communities United

I am a current senior at Cal State University Dominguez Hills and for the past three years, my aid has been held up by the Financial Aid Department and Student Financial Services Department. Every year, it has been a struggle to receive aid before classes begin which has put me behind in purchasing books, school supplies, and preparing for the upcoming school year. Thousands of financial aid students struggle academically and financially due to the incompetence of these two departments.

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter has two votes on the School Reform Commission—votes he hasn’t been using to defend Philadelphia’s public schools. He and Gov. Tom Corbett have failed Philadelphia students and families and now they are holding schools hostage for $130 million in concessions from teachers. As it stands, these massive education cuts will result in huge losses for teachers and students, including: * 13% percent pay cut and longer hours for teachers * One nurse for every 2500 students * Most guidance counselors will be laid off * No more teacher preparation periods * Later school start dates All while partial or full union strikes loom. Now, organizers on the ground are saying that, with large layoffs and school closures hitting the city’s schools, public pressure is beginning to make him nervous. We need to pile on. Tell Nutter to not let Corbett make Philly the next Detroit. Defend families, teachers, and public schools.

We are students, educators, families and other community members who are deeply tied to the neighborhoods of Boston and directly affected by public education. We are committed to building a stronger, and better public school system, that is driven by community voices. Our elected and appointed officials need to be held accountable to the actual needs and desires of the communities served by the public schools of Boston and engage the community in the decisions that impact them the most. www.bostonedtruth.org

Millions of Americans, from our youth to the adults, suffer from major depressive disorder every year. We must combat the problem of depression, anti-musive behavior, and anti-muses head on with the phenomenon of inspiration. We have done a great job at tackling the issue of depression; but now it's time to study and implement, across the nation, the study of inspiration, Musology. #Musology

Clarion University has slated the Music Education, German and French programs for elimination as well as the dissolution of the College of Education as part of its illogical workforce plan. The loss of 22 faculty positions affects some of Clarion's most beloved, well-respected and effective educators. Tell President Karen Whitney that you won't stand for this!

We formed our union at Ivy Academia to ensure that teachers and other stakeholders have an equal and valued voice and to achieve equitable conditions and pay in comparison to the rest of the teaching community. Unfortunately Ivy wants to keep teachers as “at will” employees and be able to fire teachers for no reason with no explanation, no notice and no due process. We deserve better.

I was proud to attend the University of Virginia, which became a national model for student financial aid when it launched AccessUVa in 2004. The AccessUVa program leveled the playing field for aspiring students from low-income families already burdened with high debt or high financial need, so that they too could attend UVA. It increased diversity among the student body, and it gave back to the Commonwealth of Virginia and the country as any leading public college should. From 2004 to 2009, the number of low income students who were able to attend UVA debt-free increased by 10 percent. The program made college affordable for students like me, who otherwise wouldn't even consider applying to the University of Virginia. Despite a $5 billion endowment that has more than doubled since 2001 and makes UVA one of the richest colleges in the nation, the Board of Visitors - a Governor-appointed board responsible for long-term planning for the University - recently voted to cut funding to the AccessUVa program. This measure could force thousands of students from poor and near poor families to take out nearly $30,000 in student loans. It will prevent talented young people from joining the ranks of proud Virginia students and alumni. Ending AccessUVa as we know it breaks UVA's commitment to student quality and hurts the University in ways that will be felt for years. Join me in signing this petition and demand that the Board of Visitors fully reinstate the Access UVA financial aid program to keep UVA accessible and affordable for all students. -- Mary Nguyen Barry, Class of 2010

More than $5 billion has been cut from Georgia’s schools in the past decade. Students in two-thirds of Georgia school districts (121 out of 180) have a shortened school year. Many students attend class as little as 144 days. Thousands of Georgia teachers have seen pay cuts since 2008 in the form of furlough days. And even during these pay cuts, teachers pay for school supplies out of their own pockets. We thank teachers for their commitment to our students, but it shouldn’t be this way. Education should be a priority in Georgia, not a political talking point. Gov. Deal says education is important but he has signed budget cuts for schools every year. We’re asking the Governor and his office to stand with teachers. As a symbol of commitment to our children and schools, the Governor and his office should personally pay for all of their own office supplies until every student in Georgia has a full school year and a quality education.

Previously, all North Carolina teachers with five years of experience were eligible for tenure, which granted them a right to due process before dismissal. Now, longer-term job security will be limited to the 25 percent of teachers who are ranked most effective, based on yet-to-be-determined criteria. The changes, part of a $20.6 billion budget that Republican Gov. Pat McCrory signed recently. The new North Carolina budget also ends a 10 percent salary increase for teachers with master’s degrees, although those who already receive the pay bump will be grandfathered in. North Carolina is projected to rank 48th among the states in teacher pay next year. This is devastating to the educators and the profession itself. It sends the message to people throughout the state of North Carolina that educators aren’t valued for what they do. Sign this petition and let politicians know our kids education is top priority and we value our teaching professionals.

This petition aims to make SchoolLoop available to students at University Preparatory Academy once again. SchoolLoop, to the ultimate disappointment of the student community, has been replaced by Powerschool. In contrast to SchoolLoop, Powerschool poorly communicates assignments, grades, and special events to students. Students without an Apple computer or handheld device experience trouble viewing their 'assignment calendars', which are packaged in the .ics file format. These files may be opened by Google Calendars, however the title of the assignment is often cut short, and no description of the assignment is included. The class that the assignment belongs to is not displayed either. Together, these factors make using Powerschool a very confusing and frustrating process.

The land behind BAC is very scenic and natural, but a lot of it is unused and goes unappreciated by Juniata Students. Help us get this land to be used to benefit students to its fullest potential.