The University of Puerto Rico (UPR) is the main public system of higher education on the island. It consists of 11 campuses, more than 58,000 students, 5,300 faculty members, and approximately 14,000 administrative staff. It is a government-owned corporation with a board of trustees—consisting of private citizens—that is supposed to represent public interests. However, the board is highly politicized and its structure changes as often as the governor. This game of musical chairs makes the university a tool for the government in power instead of a resource for the people, and it changes the UPR’s vision, strategy, and plans every 4 to 8 years according to the political party in power. For the past 5 years, the UPR has suffered a reduction in funding of more than 150 million dollars. Therefore, wages were reduced, and job vacancies have not been filled. Currently, the Fiscal Control Board and governor of Puerto Rico are making huge cuts to the UPR’s already reduced budget. This translates to potentially the closing of 8 of the 11 campuses and firing more staff members. The UPR faces becoming a tragic casualty of the island’s fiscal crisis. Because of government corruption and mismanagement, its students are at risk of losing their only source of higher education and its employees are at risk of losing their jobs and the pension they’ve been paying into for many years How can Puerto Rico overcome its economic crisis when the plan is to sacrifice education? Lack of or poor education has devastating effects on an economy, including fewer professionals to fill vacancies, fewer businesses created, and ultimately fewer jobs. Cutting funds to the UPR and eliminating campuses is not the solution. This petition is to ask that the US Congress step in to stop the cutting of funds to the UPR and come up with a better plan in order to prevent further debacles that will harm not only the university, but the stability and future of Puerto Rico. Although the current structure is that the UPR receives about 9% of the Puerto Rico’s general funds, it seems that a better way to structure the process is making it so that: 1- the UPR be financially unhitched from the island’s central government 2- any and all federal funds destined for the UPR go directly to the university 3- the board of trustees be composed of qualified individuals (including financial experts) who truly represent the public’s academic interests 4- the board of trustees reports directly to the state treasurer 5- the state treasurer ensures federal funds destined for higher education go directly to the university 6- the board of trustees keeps detailed and irrefutable records of the use of federal funds and reports to the state treasurer 7- the state treasurer provides an education financial report to congress or the US Secretary of Education

Because we believe that every child deserves a safe and welcoming school! Check out the full text of our resolution that we passed on February 28, 2017 - http://www.vacateachers.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/VACAVILLE-TEACHERS-ASSOCIATION-RESOLUTION.pdf

Budget cuts at UMass Boston are having a devastating impact on students, faculty, and staff.

The research is clear: adolescent sleep deprivation is directly linked to increased rates of depression, suicide ideation, drug and alcohol use, and car accidents. Sleep deprivation also undermines academic performance and increases tardies, absences and behavioral issues at school. And teen athletes who get inadequate sleep are more likely to get injured. The circadian rhythm shift of adolescence makes it difficult for the vast majority of teens to fall asleep early. When combined with too-early school start times, the result is sleep deprivation. As noted above, a start time of 8:30 a.m. or later has been shown to be the single best way to address this. To a large extent, school start times have been dictated by external factors such as bus schedules, and were established before researchers had identified the numerous risks of developmentally misaligned school hours. Healthy school start times are a public health issue and an academic issue. In California, only 21% of the state’s public middle and high schools meet the 8:30 a.m. healthy start time guideline – many start before 7:30 a.m., with students needing to wake at 6 a.m. or even earlier! We need to implement healthy start times for all of the 3-million-plus students in our public middle and high schools – not just those in districts willing to make the change of their own accord. For more information, visit startschoollater.net or join our Facebook page, Start School Later California.

Our children's education should be our state's top priority, and SB1431 is built under false pretenses. School voucher programs have undeniably negative consequences on the future of public schools, families of low-income status and the state’s general funds. Vouchers and tax credit scholarships appear to focus on giving parents better opportunities for their children, but disadvantages low-income families who cannot exercise the school choice option. Private schools are not held to the same standards as public schools, are not required to test students, and are not obligated to admit a student.

Support our charter petition to give students in Northwest Georgia a great school!

Pell Grants allowed me and so many others to be first generation college graduates. Education should not be based on wealth, and allows people to be financially self-sufficient.

Kids in our state suffer from underfunding of school programs. Congress should not cut after school programs for our kids. Vote No on trump's budget.

If we allow enrichment programs to be cut from the "Amreica First" budget, our children and their families will suffer. Many families depend on these programs not only for their chldren's enrichment but for the child care they provide.

I am starting this petition because I am one of the many in this country buried in student loan debt that seems to go nowhere. I have no problem paying the loan back, but I do have a problem with the interest rates. It is out of control. It is in no way beneficial for students to even go to college anymore without grants and scholarships. Taking out loans is shooting yourself in the foot and trapping people in debt. This is why I have started this petition. So that Americans can go to school and not be buried in debt for the next 10 to 25 years of their lives.

Hawaii public education is at a critical crossroads. Hawaii has the potential to have the best public education system in the nation if current movements in innovation, collaboration and empowerment are unleashed to their full potential. However, this potential is stymied due to special interest control of the Superintendent search process. The H.L. Castle Foundation, which shares interlocking leadership with the Business Roundtable and the Chamber of Commerce, has been too intimately involved in setting the public education policy agenda. Recent actions by the H.L. Castle Foundation in the Superintendent search reveal clearly that corporate money buys corporate control. The H.L. Castle Foundation offered to fund the search for the superintendent, and selected an Iowa-based search firm known for seeking out corporate-minded educational leaders who will likely be inappropriate for our state's culture, context and vision for the future of Hawaii's public education. The H.L Castle Foundation also held the process hostage by withdrawing their funding offer of $50,000 when the candidate pool widened to include a candidate who had been openly critical of the education policies the Castle Foundation helped to craft under the federal 'No Child Left Behind' law and the federal 'Race to the Top' program. They only reinstated the funding they had originally offered when the candidate withdrew. This is unacceptable. Now more than ever, we need public control of public education. Please sign below to show your support for transparency in public education. We are calling for the Castle Foundation to remove itself completely from the decision-making processes surrounding the selection the next Hawaii DOE superintendent.

Starting in the fall of 2017, SRHS seniors who have met the graduation requirements cannot have a "home period" (taking one period off). The district claims it is due to a new law; however, the lawmaker disputes that and the California Dept. of Education says there is no law that bans a "home period." Many districts (including Poway) have "home periods," which allow students to hold part-time jobs/internships, volunteer, and/or play sports and still maintain good grades. This makes them more well-rounded, which is what high-level colleges are looking for. This is in the best interest of children. Thank you!