Many kids struggle because the content that schools teach is either too hard or too easy. Students should be able to move at their own pace in school.

This petition has been started because the current incumbent Valeria Silva has constantly demonstrated her inability to drive improvements in local St Paul schools. Her inability to make changes to benefit the teachers and students include, but are not limited to, rapid increase in violence towards students and teachers; the lack of support for teachers; the removal of disciplinary actions for violent students, and the lack of transparency between her and protagonists such as Rashad Turner. The teachers and students of public schools in St. Paul, Minnesota require a new leader, someone that will uphold the need for discipline within schools. St. Paul needs a leader that can directly empower teachers to do what they are best at and to foster a safe environment within our schools. The position that Silva currently occupies requires someone that can stand up to those who want to disrupt schools by illegal protests, and fosters respect for the teaching institution.

For almost 20 years, Parents for Public Schools has been lobbying our elected officials to make fair school funding a priority. With an ever decreasing tax base and an increase in the number of children living in poverty in Syracuse, the impact of funding inequity has reached crisis proportions. The Syracuse City School District is dependent on the state for the majority of the school funding and the residents do not vote for a school budget. It’s time to take the politics out of funding education and make sure all schools receive the resources their students need.

Along with the Social Emotional Learning Alliance for Massachusetts, I have been working to educate and advocate for SEL because when we argue about test scores, charter vs. public and longer school days, we are losing sight of the gravity of education and the impact it could have on violence and addictions. Let's send a message to focus on WHAT we teach and WHO is teaching, not WHERE we teach it. Teach about emotion and thought and its impact on our decision-making.

Those who attend Fordham LC generally have three complaints about the campus: the food is terrible, the internet barely works and there is not a gym that fulfills their needs. Because two of these issues are not being addressed, it is time that the Fordham LC student community finally be heard. The reason Fordham administration claims there is not a real gym on campus is because free weights and other equipment cannot be used on the second floor of buildings. Fortunately enough, Quinn Library is being moved from what is basically a basement to the new Gabelli Business building. This is where a gym should be built. Even if half of Quinn was converted into a gym, it would still be a major improvement to the tiny room Fordham claims to be a gym in McMahon Hall. Even further, this gym would exponentially improve the health of students on campus and eliminate the need for them to pay additional membership fees for gyms throughout NYC.

After the third schedule change, TN Ready testing is set to begin Monday, March 14, but some schools still don't have their supplies. Kids, parents, teachers and administrators are sick of dealing with this - enough is enough.

Mayor Kenney has proposed important initiatives that will directly benefit the education of children in Philadelphia, which will have broader benefits to society. Community schools can help to meet the comprehensive needs that children have - from social, emotional and health needs, to extended and enhanced learning, such as extended learning time and quality Pre-K. There are economic and social benefits when we improve conditions for children. Resource equity matters too - and for that, you need to make investments. Mayor Kenney's proposed tax on sugary drinks is a reasonable way to fund these programs that can have a real impact on quality of life and learning conditions.

My daughter and her friends have been coming from school more exhausted than usual, due to not having access to swings, climbing structures and slides during recess at the new building. A longer recess would allow them to travel to one of many parks near the new building and be ready to learn again.

The WCA Board will vote on Thursday, March 10, to determine whether or not our elementary school will become a 5-track school, and whether there will be expansion to the elementary and MS/HS buildings. We must voice our opposition before they vote, to prevent our school from expanding too much, too fast.

We are encouraging MNPS to keep our local elementary school local.

BPS students came up with the idea and have led all of the organizing related to #bpswalkout. This petition is our way of letting the students involved know that the adults in their community support their efforts.

Our family has been very happy with Collegium. My twin sons are in 3rd grade and have been at the school since kindergarten. The academic days are particularly long and we feel that more balance is critical in regard to recess. Studies prove that children are much more attentive and retain more information when given adequate breaks. There is also a noticeable difference in behavioral issues. "Through active, free play and interactions with schoolmates, children can develop a respect for rules and an appreciation for other people's cultures and beliefs. They learn skills such as conflict resolution, self-discipline, determination, compromise and teamwork, as well as sharing during recess." Dr. Robert Murray, a pediatrician and professor of human nutrition at the Ohio State University, did a study on the benefits of recess. What she found was that playtime’s benefits extend beyond the physical. “We came to the realization that it really affects social, emotional and cognitive development in a much deeper way than we’d expected,” she says. “It helps children practice conflict resolution if we allow them unstructured play, and it lets them come back to class more ready to learn and less fidgety.” For a real life example of the impact that increased recess can have, read this article entitled, "Texas School Triples Recess Time and Sees Immediate Positive Results in Kids": http://www.playgroundprofessionals.com/news/play/texas-school-triples-recess-time-and-sees-immediate-positive-results-kids101 Some of the links referenced above: http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/131/1/183 http://study.com/academy/lesson/benefits-of-recess-for-elementary-school-children.html http://healthland.time.com/2012/12/31/yay-for-recess-pediatricians-say-its-as-important-as-math-or-reading/ PLEASE SIGN THIS PETITION SO WE CAN GARNER SUPPORT FROM DR. RATH (Collegium's CEO) TO GIVE OUR KIDS MORE RECESS!