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!

Children are being forced to carry extremely heavy book bags every day to school. It is unhealthy for them and could cause them physical damage. There should be a limit imposed on the amount of pounds allowed in children's bags.

There's a bill making its way through the legislature right now that would give thousands of bright, hardworking students around the state a shot at the American Dream. (A-4225) would allow students who have attended high school in New Jersey for at least three years and have either gotten their diploma or GED to pay the same rates as their fellow residents at New Jersey’s public colleges and universities. Passing this bill isn't just the fair thing to do; it's the smart thing to do for the state and its economy. One of the main draws of businesses to New Jersey is our highly trained workforce. Holding back talented, high-achieving students who could join the next generation of engineers, teachers, and nurses is as short-sighted as it is unfair.

The new Staars test is leaving our children behind from grades 3-12. Our motto was once no child should be left behind. In Texas more than 50% of students from 3-12 grade failed half or all of this test. Schools all over the world are full this summer for retaking of the test. Our children are being left behind, we as parents must stand up and do something before its too late.

Oregon voters are hamstrung when it comes to funding schools and other vital services. Under Oregon's Measure 5, an artificial limit on local revenue for schools and services - called “compression” - means that even if voters approve temporary levies to fund their local schools and services, taxes cannot exceed the arbitrary and outdated Measure 5 limits. As a result, schools receive only a fraction of the voter-approved funding. Even worse, neighbors with the same assessed value on their house can pay completely different amounts into the levy. And even worse? A vote to raise funding for, say, the public library can mean a cut in funding for schools or other services. It's absurd. House Joint Resolution 8, a proposed amendment to the Oregon Constitution, would allow voters to approve local option levies above Measure 5 limits to pay for better schools, public safety, health care, and human services. And under HJR 8, these new voter-approved levies would be paid by all property owners equally based on their assessed value. The logic is simple: If voters want to pay for better services, they should be able to have their say at the ballot box and not have arcane laws and arbitrary one-size-fits-all caps stand in the way. Representative Jules Bailey (D-Portland)

After recent devestating storms, Milford's local business need to be a priority over outside, big businesses. Recently, Milford Board of Education gave an out of area, big business, the contract to teach driver's education at our two public high schools, Jonathan Law, and Joseph A. Foran. The big business offered the board more money per student than we did and now they will be potentially taking 80% of business away from our family's top local driving school. Jim Richitelli (whose own kids went through our driving school), told us that we are "very qualified," however, they would not favor our local business since we offered less money per student than the big business offered.