Detroit's Wayne State University President Allan D. Gilmour has moved to have the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies closed, with a final vote of the Board of Governors to be decided in December. The Dean of the College of Liberal Arts (where the Center resides), Robert Thomas, has given a directive to have a formal annual commitment of $177,000 as a pre-condition to withdraw its request for closure by a self-defeating deadline of October 21, 2011. We are intent on taking a collective stand on the import of keeping the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies open.

our school has been working very hard over the last year to secure a school space of our own. After months of searching, we found a building that exceeds many of the needs that our membership identified: lots of light, high ceilings, large outdoor space, sufficient square footage, within walking distance, adaptability to meet fire code, adaptability to meet the ADA requirements and have the residential quality that we have come to value through our time on Baltimore Avenue. What this building is missing, however, is the proper zoning classification for our use. Even though we do not feel like a commercial operation, the city classifies any group of children greater than 7 to be a "commercial day care center" thus requiring "C" zoning.

We need great elementary schools in Capitol Hill and Ward 6. Programs like School Within a School (SWS), the Reggio-Emilia inspired school that has a waiting list more than double its enrollment. But it's a small school, and DC Public Schools has made clear they don't have room for small schools anymore. They want elementary schools of at least 300 students. SWS is a terrific school, with award-winning teachers (two of whom were honored by Chancellor Henderson and President Obama in recent days) and an innovative project-driven educational approach that’s resulting in top-notch test scores. SWS is a great model for DC Public Schools. Rather than letting DCPS close SWS, it’s time to expand SWS from its current pre-K and kindergarten program into a full-sized DCPS elementary school, covering preschool through 5th grade. One great option is to move SWS to the former Van Ness Elementary building as a neighborhood school in the rapidly growing Capitol Riverfront community near the Navy Yard. Let’s open SWS at Van Ness in fall, 2012 -- our kids can’t wait! If you have a child who could attend SWS at Van Ness next year, note their ages in the comment box.

House Republicans want to strip away Pell grants for students as college tuition costs are rising around the country. By making eligibility requirements for Pell Grants more stringent, they look to undermine an important vehicle for social mobility in order to avoid raising another cent in revenues from the wealthy. This is the real class warfare.

New Hampshire school children are spending too much time on standardized tests, practicing for tests and not enough time learning. These tests do nothing to actually help the students who take them. Worse yet, politicians are using the results of these tests to justify deep budget cuts for public schools and to punish good teachers. It's time to end the era of high-stakes standardized tests in New Hampshire.

We, the undersigned, demand that the era of high-stakes standardized tests in Pennsylvania must end immediately.

High-stakes standardized testing has a negative impact on schools, teachers, and students. Our state has plans to adopt a pay-for-performance model to grade and punish our hard-working teachers. Accountabilty and control of public schools needs to return to local communities. Help save our schools!

Our democracy rests on sound, universal public education. The same range and quality of programs must be available to all students. Let's take a leaf from the notebook of Rahm Emmanuel when deciding where to send his children to school, and demand that all students get the U. Of Chicago's Lab School Curriculum!

The purpose of this petition is to restore America's schools back to being the world's leader in educating our children. At this point in time we cannot succeed without God's help. We must stop being hypocritical by proclaiming, "In God We Trust" but not trusting Him with the fundamental institution which is the foundation of our great society. Until we rely on God's power our schools (and our society) mores will continue to detriorate.

In 2009, the Obama administration passed a law allowing Federal Student loans to be repaid via an income-based plan. It was a great step forward. Unfortunately, private lenders are still able to charge ridiculous interest rates and offer only fixed monthly payment plans on private loans. With the recession on, the job market has changed; private lenders should change their repayment options as well.

As students, parents, teachers, administrators, and community members who are concerned about the re-segregation of public schools through the promotion of Charter Schools, we oppose H.R. 2218 - Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act . We demand that you, as a Senator of the United States of America VOTE NO on H.R. 2218 - Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act to protect the civil rights of ALL public school children in America.

As students, parents, teachers, administrators and community members who are concerned about the civil rights of students and the re-segregation of America's Public Schools through privatization; we petition President Barack Obama to use his power to VETO H.R. 2218, Empowering Parents Through the Quality Charter Schools Act .