56.4 million children and their families have been suffering without in-person school for almost a year. The fastest way to end that suffering is to get teachers vaccinated quickly. Teachers are essential workers and giving them high priority to receive the Covid-19 vaccine in phase 1B is the only way to ensure that all of our schools can reopen safely and quickly. The loss of in-person school has already impacted the mental health and growth of this generation of students. Most American kids are showing some signs of mental health problems and millions are significantly behind in academic and social development. Other kids face significant hunger and food insecurity due to the loss of school meals. Parents also rely on teachers and schools to provide child care when they need to work during the day. Without this resource, families have been forced to reduce their work hours or leave their jobs, losing income they need to pay their bills. Students need to return to school as fast as possible, but we cannot achieve that goal without making sure that teachers and support staff are given the protection they need to return to the classroom.

Proctorio and other online proctoring tools have a history of racial bias and violating students’ privacy. Writing for the MIT Technology Review, a librarian at UC Denver shared the following story: “A Black woman at my university once told me that whenever she used Proctorio's test proctoring software, it always prompted her to shine more light on her face. The software couldn’t validate her identity and she was denied access to tests so often that she had to go to her professor to make other arrangements. Her white peers never had this problem.” As has been amplified by the racial justice uprisings, and addressed by the City of Portland’s Director of Equity and Human Rights Dr. Markisha Smith: “Being antiracist means understanding through the use of root cause analysis that the history of surveillance in this country is rooted in slavery, with the earliest examples of controlling the movement of enslaved people being the ‘slave pass’. Being antiracist means ensuring the safety of BIPOC communities first.” Automated proctoring is also a direct and abhorrent violation of our children’s privacy. Proctorio and other companies get access to personal data from our children, including their personal computers, private rooms in their homes, and other data. It is unacceptable that our children must surrender their civil rights, especially while attending a public institution, to complete their education.

This is important because people are suffering. There so many Americans struggling to survive. There are those who are homeless or about to be, there are those that are struggling to pay bills, there are those that can’t afford to go see a doctor, those who can’t find a job. There are those who can not work that are struggling, there are seniors getting sick from hunger, there are children going to bed without a meal. There frontline workers putting their lives on the line everyday for very little hazard pay, there are politicians who would rather argue over taxpayer money then spending on the taxpayer. I have a very simple bill that I’ve tweeted out multiple times which has not been looked at so here’s my bill: Imapact recovery Act To the United States Congress Speaker Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D) California G. O. P. Leader Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R) Part One: individuals and families A: individuals making $75,000 gross annual income or less shall receive $1,200 per individual B. All couples (those who filed jointly) making $150,000 gross annual income shall receive $2,400 per couple C. All dependents of filers shall receive $500 per dependent D. The individuals on Social Security, SSI, SSDI, SSA, Veterans and Railroad benefits shall receive $1,200 per individual Those not eligible are individuals who are currently incarcerated and there are deceased E. All unemployed individuals shall receive $400 per week retroactive from August 2020 until February 2021 F. All renters shall not be evicted from their dwellings until the pandemic is over or they find employment. G. All homeowners are allowed to stay in their homes until the pandemic is over however if they find employment this section is void Part two: state and local governments A: All 50 states and Washington DC shall receive $100 billion dollars to run their state until February 2021 B. There will be no PPP funds this round of stimulus until February 2021 C. There will be no EIDL grants this round of stimulus until February 2021 D. All student loan debt payments will be written off as a loss up to $15,000 Part Three: federal government spending A: All government workers shall receive 25% increase in pay retroactive from March 2020 B. USPS shall receive $25 billion to restructuring projects and pay for workers C. Food Assistance program shall receive $50 billion dollars until February 2021 D. Utilities assistance programs shall receive $25 billion dollars until February 2021 E. Rental Assistance programs shall receive $25 billion dollars until February 2021 F. Employer protection program insurance This is what should be in the bill because these are essential. Big businesses and corporations are not essential. They will survive until February 2021 we can not. Thank you Sincerely The American People

The threat of Covid19 is real. It has killed far too many and creates lasting health effects for more. 1.) Children can’t be expected to maintain sufficient social distancing to keep this pandemic from spreading. They are social creatures. Allowing them back in a physical school setting will cause a new spike in cases. Teachers and staff cannot be expected to carry the responsibility of ensuring everyone is following social distancing guidelines, while teaching and worrying about their own health. Every staff member or student could carry the virus home, even if they are asymptomatic. 2.) Social isolation is very hard. It is wearing on all of us. However, continued spread also means continued isolation. Not to mention the lasting effects of Covid, which will limit one’s ability to go about normal activities the remainder of their lives. This can be a hard teachable moment in life. Talk to your children, have an open dialogue of what this pandemic means and that keeping them healthy is a priority. 3.) Mental health is absolutely a concern; however, it should ALWAYS be a concern. Now is a time parents/guardians must take time to connect with their children and become more in tune with their children's feelings. Help their children work on strategies and coping mechanisms needed for the curveballs life throws at us. Schools cannot be expected to also fix the mental health of our nation. 4.) The economic impact on families is real and it’s difficult, whether schools are open or not. Covid has rippling effects on everyone. However, it is not a school's job to save the economy. It is a school's job to teach our children, which is being done virtually. To put teachers and students health at risk because families need a babysitter is unreasonable and not grounds for schools to open during a very active pandemic. 5.) Deforest has gone above and beyond what most districts have, in means of educating our children. They have been consistent and provided all the resources needed. As in life, there are days adults are adrift in the workplace, just like there are days students are not focused in a school setting. Education interruption will occur if schools open and then need to close repeatedly due to infection spread. And if one becomes gravely ill, there will be an even larger interruption. 6.) Parent's concern for lack of physical activity is also not a reason to open schools. This is a time for parents to be creative. If you don't want them in front of the screen take it away! Have them go outside, go for a walk, play a family game, teach them how to cook, ride a bike, go sledding – get outside or be active indoors if the weather doesn’t cooperate. 7.) Deforest should not be pressured to open. The staff is doing a great job educating students. Teachers have poured their hearts into educating the students they miss dearly, all while under the stress and scrutiny of everyone. We should be supporting our schools and educators, not making them feel unappreciated for their dedication. 8.) Understand that if students go back to in person learning, they will be sitting in a chair, with a mask on all day, working from the same computer they do at home. They will not be together at lunch, they will not be playing or interacting with their friends or even able to collaborate any differently than they do now. This is not in anyone’s best interest, it’s is the exact opposite. At home students can get up and move around, talk to friends on the phone at lunch and even get outside. The threat of Covid19 is real. It has killed far too many and created lasting health effects for even more. Let’s not be the reason more lives are lost or altered. Let’s be the reason we all survive and can return to normal sooner rather than later. Please sign this petition to keep the Deforest schools virtual until it is safe to return. Our kids and teachers deserve it!

This country is in desperate need of a fair, impartial, and effective Attorney General. For years, William Barr has abused the role -- and put President Trump’s needs ahead of the American people’s. He went after officials that tried to hold Trump accountable.. protected Trump allies like Michael Flynn, who was convicted of lying to the FBI… misled the public about Robert Mueller’s findings… and even ordered an attack on protesters in DC to make way for Trump’s photo shoot. But now, President-elect Biden has an opportunity to undo the damage that Barr has done. He will soon announce his pick for Attorney General -- and we must make sure his chosen candidate will prioritize repairing our democratic institutions. We’re calling on Biden to nominate an Attorney General who will: - Aggressively protect voters’ rights and make voting accessible, secure, and convenient. - Enforce campaign finance, voting rights, and ethics laws that protect our democracy. - Act fairly and impart equal justice to all, no matter the political pressures. - Commit to transforming the criminal legal system, reimagining public safety, and reversing the course of mass incarceration in America. By selecting a candidate whose track record reflects these crucial priorities, Biden can once again restore integrity to the role of Attorney General -- and make sure our rights and freedoms are protected. If you believe that Biden’s Attorney General should be ready to defend our democracy and serve the American people, add your name now.

Joe Biden has a huge opportunity to choose a progressive champion on climate action and a Native American leader to a crucial Cabinet post: Representative Deb Haaland of New Mexico. Representative Haaland would be the first Native American Secretary of the Interior -- with the power to end fossil fuel extraction on public lands, return land to Indigenous stewardship, and start implementing a Green New Deal. The Department of the Interior oversees the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and oversees oil and gas leases on federal land. It manages more than 500 million acres of American land, including the National Park System. Haaland has served as a tribal administrator, and in Congress serves as vice-chair of the Committee on Natural Resources -- experience that makes her ready to lead the Department of the Interior. The Department of the Interior has never had a Native American lead it. After centuries of oppression at the hands of the federal government, including the Department of the Interior, it’s long past time for an enrolled tribal member to lead this crucial agency. Over 150 tribal leaders, Democratic and Republican senators, and environmental groups have called for her to get the post. But the Biden transition team is hedging. Tell them to pick Rep. Deb Haaland for Interior Secretary!

It is important understand that the students of Bloomfield college have worked hard and should be allowed the choice of a Pass or Fail grade for the Fall 2020 semester because of the impact of the Covid 19 pandemic on Bloomfield College.

On November 3, 2020, former Vice President Joe Biden was elected to be the 46th President of the United States by overwhelming margins in the popular vote and the Electoral College. Despite Biden’s decisive victory, Donald Trump and other prominent Republicans commenced a daily assault on the legitimacy of the election that includes filing dozens of frivolous lawsuits seeking to have the results invalidated. Hundreds of Republican elected officials across the country amplified these false claims, and in doing so, they helped incite the January 6 attack on the Capitol building, which left five people dead, including one Capitol Police officer. And even after this deadly insurrection, 147 Republicans still voted against certifying the election — this is unfathomable. The courageous Reconstruction Congress implanted into our governing document safeguards to cleanse from our government ranks any traitors and others who would seek to destroy the Union. To that end, Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment stipulates that: “No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any state, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any state legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any state, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof". (The above text was taken verbatim from Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-N.J.) letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi dated December 11, 2020) During the four years Trump was President, House Republicans pledged their loyalty to Trump above our country. In 2019, every house Republican refused to vote to impeach Trump for his numerous violations of his Oath of Office and his abuses of power. They have proven over and over again that they are unreasonable, condone lawlessness and are unfit to hold ANY position in elected public office. ALL 147 Republicans who voted against certifying the 2020 Election should be REMOVED and not seated in 2021.

It is important for the well being of our students, staff & families to have the administrators remain in their positions. The Board members do not understand the job descriptions of these employees. They are looking at the bottom line number & are worrying too much about the possibility of town taxes going up.

Our democracy is in extremis as Donald Trump and members of Congress have actively attempted to subvert democracy and deny the will of The People. Reseating the United States Representatives who provably attempted to overthrow a fair election would be an abdication of duties by Congressional Leadership. Reseating these 126 representatives would also be sending a clear message that attacking our democracy will not yield consequences and thus will ultimately lead to its demise. It cannot be overstated that reseating these United States Representatives, in essence, aiding and abetting an insurrection, is itself an act that would be in violation of the 14th Amendment to our Constitution.

We have been part of a campaign to stamp Harriet Tubmans image on the $20 bill to cover that of Andrew Jackson. Obama/Biden set up a printing before leaving office to have a woman on the $20. That woman was to be Harriet Tubman. The plates were made, the printers ready for the next printing of the $20 bill. This should have happened at the end of Obama/Biden Administration. It ran into the Trump Administration for bureaucratic reasons and so Trump decided to stop that possibility. He did not want someone like Harriet Tubman (Black Moses) on U. S. Currency. We then started the campaign to put Tubman on the $20 bill. It went across the country and many people created a stamp and took it with them stamping $20 bills wherever they could. You could buy a stamp on Etsy as well as other places. We hope Joe Biden will take this up and reinstitute what He and Barack Obama set in place at the end of their term and the Harriet Tubman $20 will become a reality. It is extremely important that U. S. Currency like everything else in the United States reflects the diversity of its citizens. It is also important that its currency reflect the best in the United States history and not the worse.

As parent advocates we are pushing back on rumored Education Secretary nominee Lily Eskelsen García, who's a fierce opponent of school choice. As Jeanne Allen, president and CEO of the Center for Education Reform, notes in Forbes, "She has compared choice for poor kids to 'snake oil,' and has argued that 'everything about ‘school choice’ leaves students out in the cold.'"