Corruption is an ongoing problem that has been having an adverse effect on student achievement in urban schools for many years.

Dear Mr. President: You and Secretary Arne Duncan—endorsed in your efforts by Newt Gingrich, Paul Ryan, and a host of reactionary politicians and pundits—now bear a major responsibility for a toxic agenda of “school reform.” The three most trumpeted and simultaneously most destructive aspects of the united “school reform” agenda are these: 1) turning over public assets and spaces to private management; 2) dismantling and opposing any independent, collective voice of teachers; and 3) reducing education to a single narrow metric that claims to recognize an educated person through a test score. While there’s absolutely no substantive proof that this approach improves schooling for children, it chugs along unfazed. Race to the Top is but one example of incentivizing bad behavior and backward ideas about education: It’s one state against another, this school against that one, and my second grade in fierce competition with the second grade across the hall. Arne Duncan attended the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools (as did our three sons); you sent your kids to Lab, and so did your friend Rahm Emanuel. There students found small classes, abundant resources, and opportunities to experiment and explore, ask questions and pursue answers to the far limits, and a minimum of time-out for standardized testing. They found, as well, a respected and unionized teacher corps, people who were committed to a life-long career in teaching and who were encouraged to work cooperatively for their mutual benefit (and who never would settle for being judged, assessed, rewarded, or punished based on student test scores). In a vibrant democracy, whatever the most privileged parents want for their children must serve as a minimum standard for what we as a community want for all of our children. Every child deserves the type of education your children receive. It is time to set American education on that course, and a strong step in that direction would be appointing Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond as Secretary of Education. A teacher and recognized scholar/researcher for decades, Dr. Darling-Hammond will not be swayed by big money or political expediency or the latest fads. She will be independent, professional and principled. We can then return to the precious but fragile ideal that must power education in a democracy: Every human being is of incalculable value, and the fullest development of all is the condition for the full development of each.

My little sister is in 2nd grade and she only has physical education class once a week. children should have this class everyday!

I have had issues with depression when I first started college and began involving friends and staff but felt that, although they had the best intentions, tried to help in ways that made matters worse for the both of us. A group of us would like to see a policy implemented that requires colleges and universities to include, in their curriculum, education on mental health awareness as a prevention tool for students and staff. There are counselors available and that is wonderful but peers and staff can help even more by knowing what to do and what not to do when faced with a friend, peer, or student that is showing signs of mental illness especially depression. Saying or doing the wrong thing can make matters much worse.

The student loan program has only served to put students in debt and put them at a weaker position in the economy. Where other countries in Europe feel that education is a right and does not put their students in debt because they chose to pursue an education and better themselves, our system chooses to punish students. Increasing grants is simply not enough. Either the government provides more ways to abolish student debt or chooses the better of option of making public institutions affordable by covering the cost of tuition. I have started this petition here also: https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/reformabolish-student-loan-program/vWMqwfZ2

Under any new student assignment system, permit families who would like to continue an existing affiliation with a Boston Public School to do so, regardless of “zones.” Specifically, this means “grandfathering” current students and their siblings.

My son attend Mount Vernon High School, which the quality of Education in the school is below national level. Our children does not have updated books or computers and other important curriculum to meet our current standard of education in today's competitive market to enter college. Mount Vernon H.S. is using books from 20 years ago to teach our children, and the food they are providing children are terrible. Please help our children in Mount Vernon, New York. Thank you,

yes i have been affected by the issue. these jobs keep temporary employees on the jobs for years. they hold them to the same policy that they hold the permanent employees to. when the holidays come temporary employees are really affected by this in justice. they should at least offer some kinds of benefits after keep temporary employees on the job more than 2yrs

The Texas governor's position on funding public schools has impacted the school district's ability to provide increased teaching methods and increased salaries for public school employees for several years. Rick Perry has refused to accept much needed federal funding, resulting in school districts inability to effectively move forward. The ultimate "crime" is that Texas children are suffering and falling behind the nation's national averages in learning and achievement standards.

The requirement to force employees of the city of saint Louis mo. To reside in an unaccredited school system. To retain their employment.

Students with Disabilities are required to participate in the general education classes. These students are functioning 2 and 3 grade levels below their non-disabled peers. These students are being taught the general education grade level curriculum with accomodations and modifications to be sucessful in the general education class rooms. They are continously failing the Standards of Learning Test because they are not on their grade level. if they are held to the same standards as the regualr education students, what is the reason for the special education services. I think they should be held accountable for learning the curriculum, but they do have a documented disability which hinders them from performing to the same standards as their non-disabled peers. This is frustrating to the studnets as well as the teachers, who have to witness these students trying to score the same score at a level in which they do not function. According to the NCLB Act, these students are not suppose to be left behind, but indeed they are being left behind and they are not motivated to learn under these conditions. Please lower the SOL score for the students with disabilites, they are not on grade level to take the grade level SOL test.

LOCATION NOTE: This petition was originally written for Portage County but support quickly grew throughout Northeast and now the entire state of Ohio. We cannot edit the original wording above that references NE Ohio, but we will share this with the ESC in any Ohio county represented by signatures. A national petition can be found at StartSchoolLater.net. For the health, education, and safety of our youth it is recommended that middle and high schools start after 8:30 am. Schools across the nation have acted upon these recommendations, and the best first step is to simply create a committee to discuss the concept. The recommendation to delay start times for middle and high school is due to a later shift in sleep cycle that occurs during puberty. Because of this temporary later shift in circadian rhythm teens cannot fall asleep early enough to accommodate an early morning wake time - which results in chronic sleep deprivation and a myriad of associated problems including obesity, increased sports injuries, changes in insulin resistance, cognitive deficits, and behavioral problems. Among schools that have changed the benefits include: decreased auto accidents, increased enrollment, improved grades, higher standardized test scores, improved behavior, and fewer nurse and counseling referrals. The Ohio Adolescent Health Partnership lists later school start times as one way to improve the health of Ohio's children. Visit www.OhioAdolescentHealth.org There are too many studies to list them all, but here are a few highlights: Auto Accidents: 24.3% reduction in teen auto accidents in Fayette County KY compared to the rest of the state after high schools changed from 7:30 am to 8:30 am start times. (Danner and Phillips, 2008) Grades: Improved grades for 7th grade girls and 8th grade boys and girls in middle schools that started at 8:37 am compared to middle schools that started at 7:25 am in Rhode Island. Remember that girls hit puberty before boys. (Wolfson et al, 2007) Improved grades among US Air Force Academy Cadets who started their day at 7:50 am compared to 7:00 am. Remember that puberty extends into the early 20’s. (Carell et al, 2011) Sports Injuries: 68% reduction in sports injuries among students who get one hour more sleep than their peers. (Milewski, 2012) Financial Benefits: Estimated benefit to cost ratio of 9 to 1 in changing high schools to one hour later. (From the Brookings Institute Hamilton Project report: “Organizing Schools to Improve Student Achievement: Start Times, Grade Configurations, and Teacher Assignments” available online.) Additional resources for more information: The National Sleep Foundation at www.sleepfoundation.org. The national non-profit group Start School Later at www.startschoollater.net. Follow SSLOhio on Twitter, or find us on Facebook. For questions about the petition or clinical data, feel free to contact the petition representative S. Simera via the above link.