Clear Springs High school has made recent staff changes that negatively affects the education of many students. A higher value should be placed on academics rather than athletics.

My name is Ron Rodriguez, and I'm a first-generation college student enrolled in the TRIO program, which helps low-income and first-generation students like myself enter college with the guidance and resources necessary to succeed and become contributing members of society. Thanks to the guidance of my TRIO counselors, I am an honor student with a 4.0 GPA, and an active member of my college community. However, due to the budget sequester-- the TRIO program-- among other vital education services, loans, and programs, is suffering from massive budget cuts, crippling an already ailing program. This week of March 18th, 2013, Congresswoman Karen Bass (CA) will present a bill written in cooperation with the United States Student Association (U.S.S.A.) called the Student Debt Fairness Act of 2013. This bill serves to protect past, present, and future students, including but not limited to: veterans, first-generation students, Upward Bound students, students with disabilities, low-income students, immigrant students, and students receiving Federal loans such as the subsidized Stafford Loan and Pell Grants, from drastic cuts to vital education programs and services. Federal Work Study will see $49 million in cuts, $406 will be cut from Head Start, and $725 million will be cut from Title 1 Grants for disadvantaged public schools, affecting approximately 1.2 million low-income K-12 students. Some college campuses are putting further caps on enrollment into the TRIO program, which serves veterans, low-income, first-generation, minority, and immigrant students. TRIO is facing budget cuts and enforced enrollment reductions due to budget limitations. The TRIO program has suffered $66 million in systematic budget cuts since 2005, and those cuts will increase by another $42 million due to the 'sequestration'. The interest rate of the subsidized Stafford Loan is currently set at 3.4%, but that rate is set to expire in July of this year. Afterward, it will double to 6.8%, with no grace period for college graduates to seek out employment. The Marines have announced they have stopped their Military Education Tuition Assistance Program immediately as a result of the sequester. These are just some of the issues that we should ALL be concerned with as they relate to our nation's education system and economic stability. Building a better higher education system for ALL of our students results in a brighter future for all of us, as they go on to lead productive lives that strengthen our nation's economy, our infrastructure, and our relationships abroad in this growing global economy. Tell them that our college students MUST have the opportunity to pay off their student loans with a fair interest rate, and not be saddled with excessive debt. Tell them that our veterans and students with disabilities WANT their chance to become stronger citizens! First-generation and lower-income students WANT to be citizens that are productive and contribute their talents and skills to our society, and contribute to a stronger economy! Don't cut their programs! Don't cut education funding! That's the foundation of a stronger economy, not budget cuts to education! Tell your Senators and Congress to vote "Yes" on the Student Loan Fairness Act of 2013!

Spending cuts in schools have to stop! Without theses extra-curricular activities, kids loose their creativity in things they might have been good at.

Teachers pay!

In the past two years, Texas has fallen from 41st to 47th in spending per student. This abysmal choice of budget priorities will hurt our future economy and standard of living. Instead of decreasing and/or underfunding public schools, as in the past, we need a significant increase to begin the process of catching up with the rest of the USA.

In his budget address Governor Christie boasted about restoring some of the $3.6 billion he's cut from our schools. In fact, he said 370 school districts are getting relief this year. But here's the catch: Seventy of those school districts received less than $1,000. Forty of them received just $1. Of all the cuts Christie has made to vital services and investments over the years, his cuts to schools have probably had the widest impact. Kids felt it when their class sizes increased and when they lost music and language classes or sports teams. Parents felt it through increased fees for extracurriculars or busing. And we’ve all felt it through higher property taxes that state aid is intended to relieve. Christie wants to take credit for an aid increase because it's an election year and he knows that people are still hurting from his past cuts. Let’s let him know that we still have his number – and that if he wants to prove he’s a friend to our public schools, he’ll have to do better than chump change.

The Inglewood Community Adult School provides valuable educational services to the anyone 18 years and older, along with high school students short of a few credits. Eliminating the Adult school could contribute to the drop out rate and possibly lower children's test scores, because their parents will no longer be learning the skills they lack.

***The right to an education without physical punishment.*** Let me start by saying I believe it is the parents job to issue said spankings if even at all. As a parent I believe I know my children and know what form of displine should be taken to insure they behave. Paddling is not the answer. Yes, children need to have disipline but, this is not the answer. It is illegal to beat your child at home but, not in the school system? It is a new era the cavemen are gone but, not the caveman techniques are still used. We are 1 of only 19 states who still allow corporal punishment. Knox County TN doesn't & Cocke County, TN shouldn't either. Nor should any other school. Doctors will tell you paddling is bad for your child's health and can be harmful to the development of a child's bones, it also promotes bullying, it lowers a childs self-confidence, what child is going to learn anything when they are so embarrased they can't pay attention, you shouldn't hit a child if you are angry, spankings at home that are hard enough to hurt your hand ARE considered child abuse I believe a PADDLE ( in my opinion is a weapon) is a lot harder then a hand, along with a huge list of other great reasons why they shouldn't use paddles. I believe if a child acts up there is a reason, fix that and you have fixed the childs behavior. Can't we have happy, intelligent, well behaved children without the abuse?!? The answer is YES.It doesn't matter if you are a parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, or just someone who see's it is wrong then Sign this and share it. Let's help children in Cocke County, TN and in every other school system have brighter futures ABUSE FREE. the link included is an article that shows how paddling can lead to mental disorders & an article on how it can lead to depression and Trauma http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/ http://consumer.healthday.com Below are some facts for you to think about! ***In all 50 states it is illegal to hit a prisoner. ***In all 50 states it is illegal to hit someone in the military. ***In all 50 states it is illegal to hit an animal. ***220,517 students received some form of corporal punishment in school in 2006 (according to the latest report of the US Dept of Education Office of Civil Rights Data) *Of these students, 20,000 needed to seek medical attention for injuries suffered at the hands of their educators. ***In 19 states a student can be paddled in school for being late to class, acting out, going to the bathroom without permission, or even failing a test or missing work. ***Students who are paddled have a higher likelihood of dropping out of school ***Most people in the US don't even realize that paddling children in school remains legal in 19 states. ***All US citizens have the right to due process prior to receiving a sentence or punishment. Yet, students in the 19 states where paddling is legal in schools are often denied this fundamental right. ***Students in schools were paddling is administered: *Often have no format to appeal such punishment. *May not have the ability to raise concerns over the legitimacy of the claims made against them. *May not have the ability to raise concerns over the severity of the punishment being administered for their presumed violations. ***Victims and their families often lack the independent financial resources, support systems, processes, and reasonable formats in order to voice their concern over such abuses. *** 3 of 10 lowest ranking states in terms of education excellence are among the 19 that allow paddling in schools. (According to Education Week's Annual Education Report Card dated 1/14/10) ***8 of the top 10 ranking states in terms of education excellence have banned paddling in schools. (According to Education Week's Annual Education Report Card dated 1/14/10)

Student Debt. I am struggling every day of my life to make ends meet. The income that collect and the debt that i owe could never be paid back. I could not afford the minimum.

Due to the sequester, the armed forces have decided to eliminate educational benefits for active duty personnel. This benefits those that are serving and provides a platform for employment upon discharge.

As if having the University of Kentucky's basketbal coach named by the Lexington Herald-Leader to be Lexington, Kentucky's most influential person wasn't insulting enough (the readers at least acknowledged the school's president, Eli Capilouto, as the 5th most influential), it was appalling to read Joe Craft (the #10 person on the list) apparently having citizens fooled into believing he is "a giver." It would be interesting to know how Mr. Craft considers obliterating mountains, ruining land, polluting air and water, and ignoring climate change to be forms of giving. Exploiting natural resources and jeopardizing public health in exchange for his name being plastered all over buildings on the UK campus places him much more so in the categories of a taker and an aggrandizer.

Families across NYS lost pre-school and adult literacy education when Even Start was cut. Without Even Start, families with parents getting their GEDs and children learning to read and write in a quality pre-school classroom environment have come to a standstill. There is no preschool, parents can't get to parent-teacher or special ed conferences at their regular schools, and the parents still do not have their GEDs.