In recent years, New York State has expanded the use of high-stakes standardized testing. We are concerned about the ever-increasing over-reliance on results from standardized tests to measure student learning. We are calling on Governor Cuomo, the State Education Department, the New York State Board of Regents, and New York's legislative leaders to develop and implement a process by which parents/guardians concerned about the impacts of testing on student learning can voluntarily opt their children out of standardized testing.

The loss of thousands of North Carolina teachers is hurting our kids and our economy.

Although inequity continues, Oakland’s flatland schools have made historic improvements in student achievement. In 1999, only five Oakland schools had API scores above 800. Today OUSD is the most improved urban school district in California – and has been for the past 7 years. We both acknowledge this achievement and understand the work that must be done to bring these gains to all Oakland’s schools. • Today 28 Oakland schools have API scores above 800 – a 460% increase – many of them in the flatlands. • On average, low-achieving Oakland schools have increased their API scores by 255 points – gains that are 60% higher than in neighboring school districts. These schools have experienced gains in student achievement because the people closest to our kids are empowered to make the academic decisions necessary for success, at the school site level. Parents, students, teachers, school staff and principals have first-hand knowledge of what constitutes effective learning at their schools, and we need to maximize the resources allocated to school sites to put their vision into action. Empowering our neighborhood schools to make decisions governing their children’s education – with authority over their school site’s educational instruction, budget, staffing and schedule – is a local control and governance model that has proven enormously successful in Oakland. But this work is unfinished. Many of Oakland’s schools, families, and neighborhoods still do not have access to this site based decision-making model and have not been able to participate in its educational success. In particular, we must improve African-American student achievement and reduce unacceptably high drop-out rates. Oakland is one of the most diverse cities in the country, and all our communities must be a part of successful schools. The painful, divisive debate over school closures only demonstrates that parents, teachers, staff and students must be engaged in a more meaningful, formal manner in decision-making beginning at the neighborhood school site level, and within the District’s decision-making processes. We call on the Board of Education to take bold action on behalf of kids. We ask that they adopt policies to create conditions that provide equity and opportunity for our kids and give school site communities clearly defined, local decision-making authority in the following four areas: • Educational Programs: Local decision-making authority to develop and implement curriculum and instruction tailored to student needs. • School Site Budgets: Local decision-making authority to allocate site resources to best meet student needs. • Staffing: Local decision-making authority around hiring, support and retention of staff based on student needs. • School Schedules: Local decision-making authority to create school schedules - which could include additional time in the day and/or school year – to best respond to student needs. Through the empowerment of our families, students, teachers, staff and principals at every neighborhood school, we can ensure all Oakland students have access to customized, quality education and the opportunity for success. Make our voices count!

This is a Petition to Repeal the most recent Arizona State Government ruling outlawing the teaching of ethnic/racial Studies. This racist Arizona ruling not only applies to Mexican American Studies, it also implicates Black/African American/Africana Studies, Latino/Hispanic Studies, Native American and Asian Studies within public schools and state and city colleges and universities. Given their records, there is NO presidential candidate--Democratic or Republican--who will support the fight to repeal this ruling

Tennessee Voters will be required this year (2012) to have a government issued photo ID in order to vote. This will cause a serious impediment for many people and disenfranchise them, particularly the elderly, the disabled, rural and low income voters, not to mention people of color and college students of other states re presidential elections. This amounts to a poll tax, having had to show a proterty deed in order to vote.

Every American student (except for 3% with serious handicaps or other issues) is supposed to be achieving on grade level every year, climbing in lockstep up an ever more challenging ladder. This flies in the face of research showing that children start off in different places academically and grows at different rates. Source: Claudia Wallis, TIME Magazine, Sunday, June 8, 2008 "No Child Left Behind: Doomed To Fail?"

Do not promote students repeatedly when they fail to master basic grade-level math skills.

While the earlier petition regarding student loans was a good start, it actually ends up costing us more in the long run. I have an idea that will infuse money into the goverment and ease the burden of those with current loans.

In terms of state supported colleges, all students who are giving a sports scholarship must hold a 3.00 GPA or lose the scholarship. If we the taxpayer are supporting these students then they should be held accountable to graduate with at least a 3.0. It has been said that sports scholarships are the only way a poor student can afford higher education. What about the poor student that scores high on the SAT's . Perhaps they are being held back because someone can catch a football or hit a baseball but not graduate.

California's Public Educational System, Kindergarten through College and University has been cut to the bone. Overcrowded classrooms, textbook shortages, teacher and professor layoffs, and reduced or eliminated college class sections have made it impossible for millions of talented students to graduate. University of California students' tuition fees have been raised by 20 percent, California State University students' tuition fees have been raised by 27 percent, and California Community College students' tuition fees have been raised by 80 percent for the 2011/2012 academic year, and these students face the probability of severe midyear tuition fee increases in the Spring 2012 semester. California's K-12 System is suffering with overcrowded classrooms, instructional material shortages, and teacher layoffs. Californians must act now to save our once renowned Educational System. Education is the foundation of a strong economy. California Governors Pete Wilson and Arnold Schwarzenegger enjoyed tuition free education at UC Berkeley and Santa Monica College respectively. In the 1960s and 1970s, California's Educational System was the envy of the world. During this time, public higher education was tuition free as mandated by Governor Pat Brown's Master Plan for Higher Education, and California's economy grew to the 5th largest in the world. Today, California's economy has fallen to 8th position in the world because of a lack of investment in education and technology. China recently invented the world's fastest computer server and produces the largest number of solar panels, while South Korea produces the best electric car batteries using cutting-edge technologies. California's K-12 spending per pupil has dropped to 43rd out of 50 states. College and University graduates are saddled with huge debts. If California is to successfully compete with countries such as China, Japan, Germany, South Korea, and India, California's Educational System must be adequately funded, offering more classes and programs in cutting-edge technology, skilled manufacturing, alternative energy, the humanities, and the arts. Unbelievably, California has failed to employ a widely used revenue source that can address this crisis in our education. This revenue source is employed by every major oil producing state, except California. This untapped source of revenue is a severance tax on oil and natural gas extracted in California. Since California is the nation's 3rd largest producer of oil, after Texas and Alaska, a 15% oil and natural gas severance tax (midway between that of Texas and Alaska) would raise over $3 billion each year, at 2011 oil prices. This has not been a partisan issue in other states. For example, Governor Sarah Palin, with a Republican legislature, raised Alaska's oil severance tax to 25%, bringing in billions of dollars. Texas' and Alaska's gasoline prices were not affected by their oil severance taxes, and in March 2011, their price per gallon of gasoline was lower than California's. This type of oil and natural gas severance tax is the economic standard in every major oil and natural gas producing state and nation around the world. Closing the California Oil and Natural Gas Severance Tax loophole will help fully fund California's public education once again, making California competitive in the global economy and ensuring a bright future for this generation and succeeding generations of Californians. http://www.lao.ca.gov/ballot/2011/110648.aspx http://www.rescueeducationcalifornia.org/

16-25 Railcard holders get 1/3 off most rail fares, however there is a minimum fare of £12 during weekdays. We want to change it!

Athens City Schools announced that they are closing Chauncey Elementary at the end of the school year. Thier reasons is for budgets cuts. I am encouraging all of the Chauncey alumni or anyone else that does not want to see this school close to sign this petition.