Charter Schools undermine funding and "cherry-pick" students.

Vocational Training and Trade Schools helps to create jobs and microenterprises for our young and underserved Americans in areas such as, independent contractors, electricians, plumbers, carpenters, painters, cosmetology, barbering , computer technicians, registered nurses, chiefs, and graphic designs. Trade jobs cannot be outsourced to foreign companies and these skills can be passed on from one generation to another.

we, the students of the art institute of Tennessee-nashville, are petitioning via facebook to save our chefs from lay off. Chef Bussolino and Chef Piel are two of the best chefs in our school and many of us would not be here or have graduated without these chefs. we, the students, are taking a stand against the loss of our chefs and our educations. we are under lawsuits from the federal government for fraud and its us the students and our faculty and staff that are taking the bad end of this.

I was upset to see unused sealed food being thrown away after lunch by children at Merced Elememtary at West Covina, Ca. I was told by the Principal they are not allowed to return items that were not used back to the kitchen due to health regulations. Items were not perishable and could be given to homeless organizations. Besides the waste we are teaching our children that wasting food is acceptable.

The University System of Georgia's policy regarding academic renewal requires students to attend the same institution they dropped out of in order to achieve academic renewal, a policy that allows one semester of grades to not count against a student's final GPA after not attending college for 5 years. As over 25% of students do not return for their second year of college, this policy has the ability to negatively affect a large percentage of the population who want to be able to achieve a good GPA upon their return for their education later in life, but have moved to different states or even different areas of Georgia as adults.

Many aspiring students from the last decades were saddled with heavy student loan debt loads with high interest rates. Some continue to try to pay off loans incurred as early as the Reagan years when interest rates on some loans were as high as the double-digits and continue to pay interest on capitalized interest on those early loans.They are still trying to pay off their debt, even as they approach or enter into retirement. They deserve the same 3% rate that current new borrowers receive.

In this time of rampant disease related to the Standard Americian Diet, an increased disconnectedness of the people with the land, and climate uncertainties that may threaten our food supply, it is important that our children get exposure to basic gardening principles at an early age. Starting a nationwide public school gardening program will increase our children's connectedness with the land and provide inroads for healthy food alternatives in our nation's schools. Most importantly, with exposure to gardening, they will always know how to feed themselves with good healthy food.

The Teacher Forgiveness Program needs to include Librarians! My Mum worked hard as an elementary school librarian for many years at HISD and because she was a "librarian" she does not qualify for teacher loan forgiveness. This is not fair! She taught kids to love books and learn to read which included teaching the entire school kids. She is almost 72 and retired and most of her money goes to Parent Plus loans she got for her kids to go to college not even for herself!

Over two-thirds of the instructors at universities and colleges make less than thirty thousand dollars a year, have no health insurance, no retirement, and no job security. As we enter a new academic year please consider that while tuition has grown out of control little of this money goes towards the salary of instructors. Please stand with us by making this a topic of discussion in the upcoming election.

My student loans were consolidated. I applied for loan forgiveness and was denied. I worked (as a teacher) in low functioning or performing schools . While other teachers loans were forgiven. I have been paying back Sallie Mae Loan Services since 1991 and still owes about $25,000.00. Unfair!!!!!

Parent Plus Loans cannot be forgiven or even have the interest lowered unless the parent dies or goes on permanent disability. Peoples circumstances change especially in this economy and I think there should be more affordable options for these loans. I am on Social Security Disability and have been for 12 years but not permanent and only make $1,250 a month and yet have a $400.00 payment and NO ONE will budge.

Thank you for signing this petition. This is a message for all our political advocates in the US Senate, US House of Representatives and also to our President that we can't sit back any longer on our kids safety issues around Railroads. We need an education program put in our Education Systems that will teach our kids what to do and what not to do around Railroad Property.