From gun violence to universal healthcare, no field of endeavor or conflict in this country is untouched by the legacy of racism manifest by our American destiny. Despite scholarly and established work to the contrary, CDC cries "No evidence-based best practices to address it" as an excuse not to do their job, so the people must demand it. I have seen the stress of loss of privilege, the minute daily drips of intangible "microaggressions" and the gaping wounds of bullets; I took an oath and DO NO HARM is not enough. We're also on Twitter and would ask folks to tweet Trevor Noah and other prominent folks who "have the mic"! @Right2healthNow

The toxic circumstances of WORKPLACE/ACADEMIC BULLY has been well known for years. But progress for change has been excruciatingly slow primarily because of elected, civic and business powers that be. Elected officials in Albany should know that the time for change WAS YESTERDAY. Please support the petition and encourages others to sign.

Many high schools today start school in the 7 o'clock hour, a practice started several decades ago to save money by recycling school bus runs. Now considerable research confirms that these school start times are inconsistent with sleep needs of teenagers and young adults and are seriously undermining school performance as well as children's health and welfare. Because politics, money, and other logistical issues inevitably keep most school systems from changing start times, we need a national minimum start time for all public schools to make it easier for communities to do what's best for the safety, health, and learning of all children of every age when they set local schedules.

Howard Community College is a pillar of Howard County and a key institution for students, parents, workers, families, and residents of Howard County, and the faculty who serve that institution are dedicated to serving that community as well. The full-time faculty at HCC are the people executing the mission of the college, providing high-quality education for our students, and creating community on campus, and they deserve recognition for their commitment to our community in the form of a strong union contract. Faculty have been in the process of negotiating with the college for close to a year and a half and have been met with stalling tactics, unpreparedness by the college, and disrespect from administrators. At the same time, the college is actively suppressing union speech on campus and working to intimidate faculty to prevent them from speaking out. This behavior is unacceptable and in direct opposition of what Maryland and Howard County Legislators intended when collective bargaining rights were given to faculty years ago. The signers of this petition demand that HCC cease their union-busting behavior and treat faculty with respect in order to rebuild the community and recenter the mission of the College.

The Smithsonian is an invaluable part of American history and the conservation thereof. A recent executive order threatens to completely gut the Smithsonian and to further overturn true history in favor of biased, untruthful narratives. If the tampering in the Smithsonian continues we could lose thousands of historical artifacts as well as valuable documents and exhibits surrounding American history.

Howard Community College has long been one of the central institutions in Howard County, but recent reorganizations have left the institution and its employees reeling. Senior Leadership at the college has completely changed the structure of the college, cut student services, imposed dramatic changes to classroom education, and has worked to stifle protected union activity on campus. In response, Howard County Senators have proposed a bill to expand the Board of Trustees from seven to nine, institute mandatory trainings for board members, require public comment periods at board meetings, require that all board meetings must be recorded and uploaded to the internet, and require that the board adopt an anonymous, nationally recognized third-party survey for all employees of the college to fill our annually, with an unedited report being given to the board discussing the results. Eleven brave faculty members testified in support of this bill on Wednesday, February 5th, discussing their experiences at the college and how these changes could help rebuild the beloved institution. In response to their testimonials, Senior Leadership attempted to slander and belittle their own faculty that testified in favor of the bill, accusing them of disrupting the academic environment by exercising their rights to testify in favor of a bill. Please sign this petition indicating your support for HoCo 1-25, indicating your support for the brave faculty who testified in favor of the bill, and expressing your frustration with Senior Leadership's poor attempt to attack their own workers.

We’re asking the Seattle School Board to prioritize our kids’ safety and well-being over questionable business deals. By signing this letter, you’re helping ensure our students get real, safe, and effective mental health support. Here are the reasons why our collective action is important:  • Student Well-Being at Risk: This partnership with Talkspace could compromise the quality and safety of mental health support for our children. • Privacy Concerns: Potential risks to students’ sensitive personal data. • Financial Accountability: Why is this money being spent on a for-profit company with questionable practices instead of proven local solutions and partnerships? This is not an investment in our students or our community. Here are the reasons why this action is urgent: This partnership potentially impacts the mental health of over 55,000 students in Seattle. Partnering with a company like Talkspace could mean putting profit over care, leaving vulnerable kids without the support they need. If we don’t act now, this could set a precedent for future decisions that prioritize cost over quality in our schools.

  What is the Problem? High school students are graduating without essential financial literacy skills, leaving them unprepared to navigate adulthood successfully. Many teens don't know how to budget, save, manage credit, or invest, which can lead to debt, poor financial decisions, and long-term financial instability. The lack of financial education in schools fails to prepare students for real-world challenges, perpetuating a cycle of financial insecurity. What Action Could Be Taken? Mandate financial literacy education as a semester-long course in all high schools across Washington State. The course should cover critical topics such as budgeting, saving, credit management, taxes, and investing. This program can be modeled after successful initiatives like Utah’s General Financial Literacy course, which has significantly improved financial behaviors among students. State lawmakers, education boards, and officials, such as the Superintendent of Public Instruction, can introduce legislation or curriculum changes to make financial literacy education a requirement for high school graduation. Allocating resources and prioritizing financial literacy as part of the curriculum is essential to achieving this. Why Is It Important? Financial literacy is a life skill that impacts every individual. Without it, young adults are more likely to fall into debt, struggle with financial planning, and face economic hardships. Preparing students with these skills before they graduate will: • Reduce student debt and financial mismanagement. • Empower teens to make informed decisions about their financial futures. • Foster long-term financial stability for individuals and communities. This change will create a generation of financially responsible and independent young adults who are equipped to contribute positively to society. Why Should Others Join This Campaign? Everyone benefits from a financially literate society. Parents want their children to succeed, educators want to prepare students for the real world, and communities thrive when individuals are financially stable. Joining this campaign means advocating for a future where young adults are empowered, confident, and capable of managing their finances. By supporting this initiative, you are helping to ensure that no student enters adulthood without the tools they need to succeed. Together, we can make financial literacy education a priority and create lasting change for future generations. 

This is important because by auctioning off items and making a profit, you force teachers to continue to purchase school supplies out of their own pockets. A study showed that teachers spend an average of $300 on school supplies. These supplies could be free to them if the salvage unit was reopened and made available to them. 

Rum River Elementary is the only school in our district with this large of an impact to our students. There is one other elementary school where students are in two different middle school attendance boundaries, and it is divided approximately 60% to Oak View Middle School and 40% to Coon Rapids Middle School, far less disjoined than our 92/8 separation.  Moving schools during middle school can have a significant negative impact on a student, often leading to emotional stress, social disruption, potential academic setbacks, and challenges with forming new relationships, as they are at a crucial developmental stage where peer connections are vital and adapting to new environments can be difficult; this can manifest as anxiety, sadness, feelings of isolation, and decreased academic engagement.  This is supported through research and best practice findings by multiple reputable organizations including U.S. Department of Education.  Considering property taxes associated with living in this location, we would hope priority would be given to attending the schools we fund.  We are currently in the process of gathering data from the school district to gain further clarity on the balance of in-district transfers vs out of district open enrollment.  When evaluating all of the information we cannot see where the risks outweigh the benefits of having this very small student population be allowed to permanently attend Oak View Middle School and Andover High School (not through in-district transfer).  

FSW EMS program needs Megan Davis to be successful 

Former students, colleagues, friends, family and current residents of West New York, New Jersey, please join us in petitioning the West New York Board of Education to rename Public School #3 in honor of one of West New York's greatest teachers, Darcie Eckert Valencei.