Each year, thousands of teens and young adults fall victim to some type of assault, either physical or sexual in nature. Date rape, dating violence, and abductions are rampant in America, from small towns to urban areas across the country. I propose legislation including instruction in public schools on recognizing the potential for violence to occur in a relationship, gaining self-respect and confidence to deal with these situations, and having the ability to protect themselves should they find themselves victims to violence.

Florida Atlantic University has taken a severe $25 million budget cut. Classes have been cut and would-be graduating seniors have postponed graduation because of these cancellations and interruptions of services.

Our youth are not getting the education they need to become healthy, self-sufficient adults. The CDC estimates that 1 in 3 children born in the year 2000 will have diabetes at some point. Preventable diet-related diseases are the main cause of death in the U.S. and account for more than $150 billion in yearly health care costs. Public education operates on the pretense of preparing students for jobs and the reality of preparing them for tests (which it does rather poorly). Education reform is overdue, and increasing healthy living skills should be a main priority of our nation's schools. Every student should learn about nutrition, food sources and affordable healthy foods. Another component of food education is basic cooking skills; as Jamie Oliver has suggested, every young person should leave high school knowing how to cook 10 simple, inexpensive and healthy meals.

The debt us parents are carrying for our children through companies such as Sallie Mae who's main bank isn't even in this country is ruining our economy. If we had the extra 500 dollars or more a month to spend or save the economy would bloom again. Its insane that in this country we don't have free education and jobs available through the colleges for our students to pay their tution.

The Los Angeles Unified School District has offered Goethe International Charter School 10 classrooms for the 2012-13 school year. The school currently uses 15 and has requested 16. Goethe is faced with a dire dilemma: kicking out students and laying off staff or renting a facility (IF one is available) and depleting our financial reserves. We ask that all stakeholders and supporters of quality public education ask the District to reconsider its offer and to award Goethe 16 classrooms, plus reasonably equivalent non-teaching space.

The new president of the University of Missouri announced he is closing the university's press, which has been publishing scholarly and general readership books for 54 years. Signing this petition is a way to support scholarship, writing, art, books, authors, public education, intellectual pursuits, and of course, the ten people who work at the Press.

In these harsh economic times, getting an education is becoming more a nightmare than a dream for many Americans. Recently, student loan interest rates were doubled, making the pursuit of higher education that much harder. To ease the strain that student loan interest rate increases will cause for so many college graduates, why not utilize them in a manner that eases the strain on county, city, state and federal budgets? Why not offer the option of public service to recent graduates as one means to offset the rising costs of higher education?

March 2012: The Federal Reserve Bank of NY released numbers that many found startling; 36 Billion dollars (4.2%) of our nation’s total student loan debt belongs to Americans 60 and older. An additional $98 Billion (11.3%) belong to soon-to-be seniors ages 50-59, and those between age 40 and 49 owe $142 Billion (16.4%). 
These age groups, who should be planning for, or enjoying retirement, account for 32% of our nations total student loan debt! Many of these borrowers are, or soon will be, subject to Social Security garnishments! There is something very wrong with a system that is structured so that, even at these ages, borrowers have not been able to pay off their student loans! Get the facts about student loan debt at: https://sites.google.com/site/agingwithstudentdebtorg/facts Learn more about H.R.4170 at: https://sites.google.com/site/agingwithstudentdebtorg/h-r-4170-campaign/h-r-4170-overview

Anita McCafferty is more than qualified to be the next principal at MJHS. We are asking the Board to request the Superintendent to OFFER her the job!

in 08 the joplin public school board changed there policy on the tax payers speaking to the board on there issues you now can only spesk on what is on the boards adgena i feel this is a form of censorship,some of our other area school districts still allow the tax payers to speak on there issues joplin tax payer should have the same right

Total outstanding student loan debt in America is expected to exceed $1 TRILLION this year. Millions of hardworking, taxpaying, educated Americans are being crushed under the weight of their educational debts, while the economy continues to falter. Support an effective economic stimulus and jobs plan. Support the Student Loan Forgiveness Act of 2012 (H.R. 4170).

The Middletown Board of Education ("BOE") has, without appropriate notice, postponed the 2012-13 student start date. The posted 2012 student start date is Monday, September 10th, 2012. The education of our children is being delayed to use the week of 9/4/12-9/7/12 to accommodate the training of teachers prior to the opening of schools to students. Twelve weeks is an unreasonable amount of time for children to be without education. This delayed opening will create significant economic hardship for childcare driven families. Please tell the BOE this is not acceptable. Our children and their families need your help. Thank you!