As many of you know, Simmons University has just decided today that they are going to cancel this year's graduation for the class of 2020 (both undergraduates and graduate programs). Many other seniors including myself are extremely heartbroken about this situation and the transition to a virtual graduation that our University’s administration plans to make. After the years of hard work we have put into our education, we believe that we deserve much more than this. We have dedicated our past four years and our tuition to Simmons, trusting them to educate us in a way that would make us feel prepared, and I strongly believe Simmons owes us a live graduation. The purpose of this petition is to urge Simmons University administration to not hold a virtual version of graduation but rather hold a physical commencement to honor both the undergraduate and graduate classes later in the summer or fall after this period of self-isolation and social distancing when it is again safe to have such a large gathering. It is very important that we are honored in the same way that all of the Simmons University classes have before us, and how future graduates will eventually be honored as well. I urge you all to sign this petition in order for seniors to be able to celebrate our achievements together one last time.

Access to child care is in crisis right now and possibly far into the future with disastrous consequences. Parents unable to make copayments due to loss of income. Providers who are in a real and present danger of closing permanently without financial relief. Emergency workers who can’t access much needed child care. Something has to be done. As a nation, we are on the verge of losing more than half (yes you read that right - MORE THAN HALF) of our child care programs in the next week IF there isn’t significant public investment and support. There are over 2 million paid providers and educators in the U.S., and we cannot afford to lose them! Without child care, frontline workers won't be able to continue doing their essential jobs and, as we emerge from this crisis, we may find there is no child care system to return to as families go back to work and school. Providers who are open are struggling without support for public health training, and working in hazardous conditions for long hours. We need to support them in their critical role in our public health infrastructure. And families -- including frontline workers -- shouldn't have to worry about how they will afford child care in this time. SIGN NOW to urge Congress to provide at least $50 billion in child care funding to ensure the stability of our child care system so parents and caregivers have child care to return to when this crisis is over!

On Friday, President Bollinger announced that all classes will now be graded on a Pass/Fail only basis. With the moving of classes to an online format, this represents a further decline in the quality of education. Given that students have paid nearly $30,000 for tuition this semester, it is unfair that they continue to pay this cost while receiving a level of education that is clearly inferior to that for which they paid. Online classes simply do not offer the same quality of instruction as in-person classes, and students no longer have access to the amenities that their tuition is supposed to fund, such as library and computer lab access, engineering equipment, and more. The mandatory pass-fail further means that students will be paying for tuition without any impact whatsoever on their GPA, which is another undue burden created by the university's policies. Moreover, a significant portion of students' tuition is the student life fee, which pays for amenities that students no longer have access to such as Dodge Fitness Center. With the closing of these spaces and the cancellation of student events such as commencement and senior activities, it is unfair that Columbia continues to hold on to this money despite not being able to provide students these services for which they have already paid. Finally, the pandemic that necessitated these measures has also thrown the U.S economy into a severe recession. Many students are facing severe financial hardship as a result of losing their jobs or their family losing their jobs. In fact, many students depend on their jobs to pay for their tuition. Ultimately, it is only fair that as Columbia recoups expenses from cancelling student events and closing campus spaces, that some of this money be refunded to the students whose tuition paid for it in the first place. Please sign this petition and tell the administration of Columbia University to refund Spring 2020 tuition to all students.

It is important because I have personally witness what my daughter and so many other students have experienced in Athens, GA., where the University of Georgia is located. Because the housing regulations are so lenient in Georgia, the management companies take advantage of student/tenants. In the past, I have notified the Congressman, Jody Hice, but my email was ignored with responses to support his office.

Numerous families will be affected and it will bring devastating circumstances if not addressed immediately.

Towson University has almost 23,000 students enrolled. That’s 23,000 diverse living situations and learning styles. For many, online classes are not the right platform they need in order to learn at their full potential, which is why they chose to study on campus. This could be because in house courses are best for their comprehension of content or because they simply do not have the proper tools or living conditions in order to succeed. During this time of stress and uncertainty, continuing to grade them using the same rigor as on campus classes is not what’s best for Towson’s students. While one student might have the tools and learning capability to achieve in distance learning, the next two may not. Many institutions have chosen to give their students the option of a pass/fail system and Towson should to.

With COVID-19 spreading rapidly across Washington State, the health and livelihoods of center teachers, directors and owners are under threat, and families are scrambling to find safe care for their children. Issues that may appear to be temporary, e.g. frontline teachers and directors becoming ill and sites shutting down, threaten to cause permanent damage to the early learning system. As capacity decreases, children are withdrawn from care and parents are unable to go to work.Many child care professionals already earn low wages, often with no health insurance. This is true of centers that accept state tuition subsidies or those paid by families. Without immediate state intervention, the COVID-19 pandemic will push child care professionals to economic collapse. Here are some of the supports that our Early Learning System needs to survive this crisis: * Teachers and directors who are unable to work should receive unemployment benefits to cover lost wages without a repayment requirement for reimbursable employers. * All child care teachers and directors should receive free COVID-19 testing and free health care if they become ill. * The State should cover market rate tuition (including private pay) if parents or caregivers are unable to pay due to job loss or work closure. * If a facility must close due to COVID-19 related reasons, the state should cover market rate tuition payments to ensure all providers stay in business and supply financial support for re-opening. * Payments and direct assistance to centers should be based on enrollment, not attendance. * The State should procure and distribute to child care providers all health and safety supplies needed to care for children. * All background checks should be expedited within 24-hours for child care related employees. * Paid substitutes should be provided if staff members are unable to work. * New hires should be authorized to start work without completing pre- service requirements during this emergency. * DCYF must provide updates, in appropriate languages, to centers, teachers and directors on a regular basis, at least every other day, or more often as necessitated by fluid events. * Any emergency changes initiated by DCYF to the WACs that would change or increase regulations should be made in consultation with frontline professionals, including SEIU and WCCA. * All health and safety and licensing enforcement should be paused during the crisis except for the most serious situations that may result in the loss of authorization or license to provide care. * All Early Achievers mandates, ratings, and requirements should be suspended through the duration of the pandemic. * First quarter 2020 L & I and ESD employment taxes, due April 30, 2020, should be waived for all child care providers of 500 employees or less. It’s Time to Respect, Protect, and Lift Up Child Care Professionals!

UC Berkeley, the city of Berkeley, and the entire country (not to mention the world) are going through both an economic meltdown and a public health crisis due ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Many tenants - including UC Berkeley students - are unable to pay their rent as a result of the economic meltdown and shelter-in-place order. Furthermore, so many students live paycheck-to-paycheck that they could never afford the added expense of paying backrent. Many of these students also do not have a "non-Berkeley home" they can return to. The federal Department of Housing and Urban Development has responded by banning evictions (and defaults) in properties secured by Federal Housing Administration-insured (Fannie and Freddie) Single Family mortgages. On March 17, the Berkeley City Council passed an initial moratorium on evictions and suspended rent payments for tenants who been financially impacted by the coronavirus pandemic; the city council is expected to pass additional emergency legislation to strengthen the law to protect Berkeley residents and keep them in their homes. As a state agency, the university is generally exempt from regulations issued by a local government. As a result, the only way to protect students in university housing from evictions and unconscionable rent collections is for the university to voluntarily enact such a policy. Letting homeless and housing-insecure students live for free in otherwise empty university housing would only cost the university little to nothing. Additionally, the fact that the University is allowing students to move-out and receive a pro-rata refund means it is already budgeting for little to no revenue from housing for the remainder of the year. It is therefore clearly within the Univeristy's means to allow students already living in the dorms to not owe rent. Many students cannot simply move-out of the dorms and "go back home." For instance, they may not have another home to return to, may have a Bay Area job they need to support themselves and/or their family and which has not been halted by the pandemic, or their family home may be unsafe (e.g. if they've been rejected by their family for not being cis-hetero or if their family home is physically dangerous). This is literally a matter of life and death. If students are forced out onto the streets - either through a formal eviction or because they decide to move out early in order to avoid back rent they cannot repay, they could catch coronavirus and die, as well as infect other community members.

People losing jobs cannot work

"During the COVID-19 crisis, we all have a responsibility towards our communities to keep ourselves healthy and avoid situations that can spread the virus. As of March 17th, the state of Florida will close all bars, nightclubs, restaurants, and other small businesses in order to help us uphold that responsibility. While this is a step in the right direction regarding health, the effects of these sweeping business closures affect the livelihood of thousands of Florida residents that rely on front-of-the house restaurant, club/bar work or tips to make ends meet. Without a plan in place to supplement the income of these workers, and with no guarantee that unemployment benefits will provide the relief people need in a city with one of the highest costs of living in the country, we demand a moratorium on rent collection. Hard-working people are going to suffer at the expense of the greater good. While we don't deny the importance of instituting these closures, we would be ashamed and heartbroken to watch our government let people who rely on health and wellness care work, restaurant work, work in the entertainment industry (clubs/bars), and other small businesses face evictions, blows to their credit, or be backed into a corner financially through no fault of their own. As a spa business owner and full-time Licensed Massage Therapist, this is my sole source of income. So many other massage practitioners and business owners in the industry, are affected. Simply providing people with an unemployment payment of temporary paid leave at minimum wage would not be enough to cover their typical expenses. We need Broward County and Florida as a whole to put a moratorium on rent NOW in order to preserve the livelihood of so many hard working business owners, healthcare practitioners, and other affected industries during this time of crisis".

The Coronavirus pandemic is a health crisis like we have never seen before, and it is colliding with the economic crisis of this generation - student loan debt. Lost wages and medical costs will impact families across the country for weeks, months, and years to come. Adding the persistent burden of student debt is a recipe for an economic disaster for millions of everyday people. Labor shocks like those the pandemic are likely to cause will undoubtedly increase federal student loan defaults. Borrowers in default on federal student loans face having their tax refunds seized and wages garnished at a time when they can least afford it. We also call on lawmakers to immediately stop these actions that hit distressed borrowers the most. Canceling student debt in response to the Coronavirus crisis will help the 45 million people with student loans and stimulate the economy when it is needed most. It will allow borrowers to purchase the necessities their families depend on: food on their table, a roof over their head, and critical healthcare. In the long term, a student debt cancellation stimulus would help prevent or reduce the impacts of an upcoming recession. Student debt cancellation can boost GDP by up to $108 billion a year and would add up to 1.5 million jobs per year.

The Dow Jones dropped last week and this week reported its worst weeks since the 2008 financial crisis. The plummeting stock is the tip of the iceberg. Small businesses that rely on overseas production are suffering. American exporters in agriculture and forestry are losing access to valuable overseas markets. Tourism will continue to decline sharply. Analysts now project that American companies will generate zero earning growth in 2020 because of COVID-19. If the virus reaches global pandemic levels, experts predict that it could lead to a recession in the US and across the globe. The economic impact will be felt in the next upcoming months and it is necessary to not only limit the spread of the virus but also get ahead of its economic impact to limit the financial fallout it will have on millions of Americans. Elizabeth Warren has already crafted a well laid out plan for canceling student loan debt. The Department of Education already has the broad legal authority to cancel student debt in which it does not require Congress to act. However, we the American people would appreciate if our leaders and representatives prioritize our financial health and futures by taking a vote towards supporting the relief of student loan debt. Approximately 42 million Americans can immediately benefit from the cancellation of student loan debt and immediately empower the American economy. In addition to the cancellation of student loans, please ensure it will not result in any additional tax liability for borrowers. Again, please refer to Senator Elizabeth Warren's well-researched and well laid out student loan debt cancellation plan. Tell your Senator and tell your Congressman or Congresswoman to publicly support a stimulus proposal that takes student loan debt cancellation without tax liabilities for the borrowers into consideration.