Senator Alexander (R-TN) voted against students by voting "NO" to a bill that would have stopped student loan interest rates from doubling, on July 1st, and he voted "YES" on a bill that would see interest rates skyrocket. In Tennessee alone, 53% of students graduate with debt, and close to 132,000 are Stafford Loans borrowers. The average amount of student debt is $24,740. As the Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Senator Alexander is in a key leadership position. He has a responsibility towards his fellow Tennesseans to make sure that everyone receives a fair shake at an education -- and that includes students being able to afford one.

Comprehensive student loan reform would free up hundreds of millions of dollars currently being used to service debt, to be spent on ailing sectors of the economy, providing a real jump-start to economic growth and prosperity. Such reforms would put the American Dream back in reach for millions of Americans, unleashing a new era of entrepreneurship, investment and innovation for all. The question is not whether we can afford to make such reforms, but whether we can afford not to. At a time when the big banks can borrow from the federal government at near-zero percent interest rates, what sense does it make to force students to borrow exorbitant sums of money at outrageously high interest rates, just to obtain an education? If we, as a society, deem it so necessary to invest in the big banks with such sweetheart deals, why do we find it so difficult to find the political will to invest in our own people? Among the reforms that we, the undersigned, believe should be implemented include, but are not limited to: * Restoration of basic consumer protections, such as bankruptcy rights and statutes of limitations on the collections of student loan debt; * The right to refinance student loans so as to allow borrowers to take advantage of historically low interest rates; * Elimination of the $2,500 cap on the deductibility of student loan interest paid; * Elimination of the practice of interest capitalization on student loan debt; * The ability to consolidate private student loans with federal loans; and * Making all federal and private student loans eligible for income-driven repayment programs, such as Pay As You Earn, that limits payments to ten percent of income and provides forgiveness after 20 years; There is no shortage of good ideas, but a serious shortage of political will to address this ever-growing crisis. Along with any additional legislation that may be required, we, the undersigned, demand hearings and action on the following pending bills: * The Student Loan Fairness Act (H.R. 1330) - Rep. Bass * The Private Student Loan Bankruptcy Fairness Act (H.R. 532) - Rep. Cohen * The Student Loan Affordability Act (S. 707) - Sen. Reed * The Student Loan Default Prevention Act (H.R. 618) - Rep. Michaud * The Know Before You Owe Private Student Loan Act (S. 113) - Sen. Durbin * The Student Loan Employment Benefits Act (H.R. 395) - Rep. Israel * The Student Loan Interest Deduction Act (H.R. 1527) - Rep. Rangel * Responsible Student Loan Solutions Act (S. 909/H.R. 1946) - Sen. Reed/Rep. Tierney * The Student Loan Relief Act (S. 953) - Sen. Reed * The Federal Student Loan Refinancing Act (S. 1066) - Sen. Gillibrand * Refinancing Education Funding to Invest for the Future Act (S.1266 ) - Sen. Brown * Proprietary Institution of Higher Education Accountability Act (H.R.1928) – Rep. DeLauro * Smarter Borrowing Act (S. 546) - Sen. Harkin * Fairness for Struggling Students Act of 2013 (S. 114) – Sen. Durbin * Bank on Students Loan Fairness Act (S. 897/ H.R. 1979) – Sen. Warren/ Rep. Tierney * Students First Act of 2013 (S. 406) – Sen. Lautenberg

Though it sounds expensive, a free and complete education for everyone—from Head Start to college, including vocational school—is possible through savings from other government programs. It is a prosperous investment for all of us, except for the wealthiest Americans, because the side effect is that universal education would save tax dollars and increase the tax base! Once the children who normally grow up on welfare or in poor working families receive a complete education, the cycle of poverty will be broken. The overwhelming majority will have good jobs within reach, hope, and a real opportunity for a better life for themselves and their children. The American dream, which is currently being denied to them and their children, would finally be attainable. They would no longer need to rely on public assistance or be forced to turn to crime, two major expenses to taxpayers. They would become well-paid taxpayers, thus increasing the tax base, and consumers, thus boosting our economy. Let's make it happen. Let's make all education—from preschool to college, including trade schools— free for every American citizen of every age. The GOP and Tea Party conservatives would never let this happen, because they want inequality, poverty, injustice, suffering, and crime to continue in perpetuity. They want the status quo to be permanent! We must end this legislative nightmare in our government by eliminating the GOP and Tea Party conservatives. Join me in my quest for a better America! -William J Ryan

I'm $80,000 in debt just because I wanted to get an education. Nationwide, students are over one trillion dollars in debt. With education only affordable to a small number of people, the American dream will die due to needless debt.

Chancellor Matthew Goldstein, who will be retiring as chancellor of City University of New York (CUNY) as of July 1, 2013, has illegally scrapped the governance plan of Medgar Evers College at CUNY. The scrapped 1972-ratified governance plan had 23 students that served in various capacities. This move by the chancellery and the CUNY Board of Trustees will have a disastrous effect on the democratic process of Medgar Evers College and effectively silence students' voices.

The people who have seized undemocratic control of Chicago Public Schools are destroying neighborhood public education and the lives and futures of Chicago's schoolchildren. Over the last eight years, as a recipient of national, state, and district teaching awards, I have taught some of the highest-need students in our city. In the face of horrendous violence and a lack of school resources, we educators of Chicago have taken back our union and fight every day to improve the lives of hundreds of thousands of Chicago's young people. But it is not only educators - parents, students, and community members have all joined this fight for educational equity and justice for all students. Together, we have changed lives. But the mayoral-appointed Chicago Board of Education has undermined all of our efforts to improve our schools. On June 26, 2013, the Board will hold its June meeting, the first meeting since voting to close 50 schools mainly in Latino and African American neighborhoods and since informing school principals of 20% cuts to school-level funding. Many of the schools targeted for closure are relatively high-performing and have reasonable class sizes. The board is taking out a multi-decade loan to cover the additional costs of closing these schools. The budget cuts come despite last year's surplus in the budget, and Mayor Rahm Emanuel continues to divert hundreds of millions of dollars in school money to private development projects. These decisions ultimately will result in the destruction of the education of nearly 400,000 students in the city of Chicago. Individual young people will be killed in our streets as a result of the choices the board is making.

Families at certain social economic levels are trapped in a Texas public education system that has data proving the statistical correlation between public school disciplinary practices as a fast track entry to the criminal justice system. A statewide study was performed which shows alarming disproportionate and excessive suspension practices of school administrators. Texas state legislators have failed to hold school districts accountable to addressing their disproportionate suspension practices toward minorities, at risk youth and students with disabilities.

Keep Student Loan Interest rates as low as interest banks pay.

Senator Kirk recently voted against the Student Loan Affordability Act, which aimed to keep interest rates low for students for another two years. Instead, he voted for another proposal that could see interest rates skyrocket up to 8.5%. 64% of students have student debt upon completion from college in Illinois (where the average student loan debt is $26,440) and 337,440 students in Illinois are Stafford Loan borrowers. Students in Illinois can't afford more debt, and on July 1st, student loan interest rates are set to double from 3.4% to 6.8%. We need Senator Kirk to stop voting for proposals that will hurt students in Illinois and the rest of America.

Senator Rubio recently voted against the Student Loan Affordability Act, which aimed to keep interest rates low for students for another two years. Instead, he voted for another proposal that could see interest rates skyrocket up to 8.5%. 51% of students have student debt upon completion from college in Florida (where the average student loan debt is $25,600) and 462,048 students in Florida are Stafford loan borrowers. Students in Florida can't afford more debt, and on July 1st, student loan interest rates are set to double from 3.4% to 6.8%. We need Senator Rubio to stop voting for proposals that will hurt students in Florida and the rest of America. El Senador Rubio acaba de votar en contra del Acta "Student Loan Affordability" (Accesibilidad de préstamo estudiantil) que tenía el propósito de mantener los intereses bajos para los estudiantes por dos años más. En vez de eso, el votó por la otra propuesta que pueda ver los intereses dispararse hasta 8.5%. %51% de los estudiantes tienen deuda estudiantil al terminar la universidad en Florida, (donde el promedio de deuda estudiantil es $25,600, y 462,048 estudiantes en Florida son prestadores del fondo "Stafford.")

Senator Portman recently voted against the Student Loan Affordability Act, which aimed to keep interest rates low for students for another two years. Instead, he voted for another proposal that could see interest rates skyrocket up to 8.5%. 68% of students have student debt upon completion from college in Ohio, where the average student loan debt is $24,760. Close to 400,000 Ohioans are Stafford loan borrowers. Students in Ohio can't afford more debt, on July 1st, student loan interest rates are set to double from 3.4% to 6.8%. We need Senator Portman to stop voting for proposals that will hurt students in Ohio and the rest of America.

Various factors contribute to highly competent teachers’ unemployment. New teachers are laid off go for budgetary or other factors. Conversely, there are examples of very knowledgeable and skilled professional status (tenured) educators like myself who are out of work. Students and families can use these educators’ talents. Please put these educators back to work in the fall!