The government loans low interest rate money to the banks and asks them to loan it to students. The money comes with a guarantee that if the student defaults the government will repay the banks in full. Even though there is no risk to the banks from this transaction, they profit by charging students high interest rates (up to 8%). Canada, by comparison, loans the money directly to students and offers an interest rate of approximately 1%. The Canadian system benefits the students and the taxpayers. The US system benefits the banks at the expense of the student and the taxpayers. The US system is unfair to both students and taxpayers. We urge you to pass legislation to eliminate the banks from the student loan system.

The Baha'i Community of Iran, the largest religious minority of that country, has been undergoing persecution from the government for many years now. A plethora of methods have been used by the government of Iran in pursuance of their goals, including arbitrary arrest, unlawful trials, executions, confiscation of land, businesses, pensions, etc. The most recent of these has been the denial of the right to education to young Baha'is. Specifically, they are barred from universities simply because of their religious beliefs, and when they tried to initiate their own educational programs, they are attacked. This past May, the Baha'i Institute for Higher Education (BIHE)--a community sponsored institution that sought to offer an education to the young Baha'is who were otherwise denied entry into a university---was the latest victim. Professors and administrators have been incarcerated, material has been confiscated, and the institution has been closed. Their crime? To educate deprived youth who long for an education. Wouldn't we all be guilty? We at Tufts, who are enjoying this inalienable right, would do well to join the growing international academic community---students, professors, administrators---who have voiced their opposition to such injustice and are working to stop this oppression. We invite you to sign this petition so that Tufts University will join the many universities in the US and around the world who have voiced their concern and have taken the concrete steps of accepting BIHE credits so that those BIHE students who were not able to finish their education can have an opportunity to apply to Tufts to continue their academic careers.

Have your voice heard! Sign this petition to say NO to Charter Schools!

"We want education!" This is why 50 high school students of Douglass Academy were suspended, after walking out of their classes to protest the situation that the all-boys school is in. The lack of consistent teachers and principle has resulted in the students passing time in the gym, library, or cafeteria with nothing to do. Signing this petition will make sure that the education system will not fail students in the future.

I am a 6th Grade student in the district and I am currently aware that Middle School sports have recently been cut from our budget. We are the only district in the surrounding area to cut middle school sports. Teens who participate in physical activity are proven to perform better in school . Children and teens should exercise for at least 60 minutes EACH DAY. Many teens will not reach this mark especially because we do not have Physical Education classes daily.

The Phoenix Journals are Truth from our Creator given one last time to this planet. School ignores the information which impacts ALL areas of knowledge including, but not limited to, Geography, Science, History, AND Spiritual Knowledge. Television ignores it. Government has banned some of the books. WE MUST SHOW PEOPLE WE WANT TO LEARN IT!

I am petitioning Govern Jindal and his dumb, stupid proposal taking away teachers tenure and to take our tax money and give it to private schools.

Don't be chicken - veto it!

Alabama's awful immigration law. Medicaid cuts. Taking money from public schools to balance the state budget.

Mayor Bloomberg's proposal to close 33 schools and reopen them in the "Turnaround " model with new faculty short circuits the previously prescribed solution of the "Restart" model which we were given three years to complete with federal funding. The turnaround model will remove up to half of the faculty and be disruptive to the family that is made up of students, faculty, and parents.

Bringing the Lottery to Utah to help with our terrible per-pupil spending.

Vicki Kennedy, the widow of Senator Ted Kennedy, is a lifelong Catholic who has received honorary degrees from two Catholic colleges. So why is a Massachusetts bishop prohibiting her from serving as a commencement speaker this year? Kennedy had accepted an invitation from Anna Maria College to speak at this year's graduation, but Worcester Bishop Robert McManus forced them to withdraw the invitation. According to his office, Catholics who disagree with church teaching should not be honored by Catholic institutions -- a standard that conservative bishops seem to apply only to Democrats. Bishop McManus even refused Kennedy's request to meet in person to discuss his concerns. As she put it, "by objecting to my appearance at Anna Maria College he has made a judgment about my worthiness as a Catholic. This is a sad day for me and an even sadder one for the Church I love." Bishops have consistently remained silent when conservative public officials like John Boehner, Antonin Scalia, and George W. Bush are honored by Catholic institutions despite flouting church teaching on war, the death penalty, torture, and other issues. It's time to stop their campaign of selective censorship and intimidation towards progressive Catholics.