The primary purpose of assessment in our public schools should be to improve teaching and learning. However, the high-stakes tests mandated in Massachusetts offer little benefit for students. High-stakes testing stifles innovation, narrows the curriculum, and hinders students from developing advanced thinking and problem-solving skills. Even US Education Secretary Arne Duncan admits that “testing issues today are sucking the oxygen out of the room in a lot of schools.”

"Mr. James Caplan discovered and has made a significant contribution in researching and applying medical ozone/oxygen for the treatment of sickle cell anemia patients. It is unconscionable that this inexpensive, proven treatment has been ignored for so long by the medical establishment, in this country. This treatment relieves patients of excruciating pain that they suffer many times during the year, every year of their lives. The time for action is NOW!!!"

Thanks to the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United, the way elections are decided has been completely altered This decision by the Supreme Court has opened the floodgates to allow Super PACs and special interest groups, run by the likes of the Koch brothers and Karl Rove, to spend millions of dollars to influence elections. To make matters worse, we can never be completely sure of their true motives or where their money comes from. Despite this, they spend enough money to put their interest front and center while middle class families in Arkansas – those who don’t have a million dollars to spend on campaigns – get drowned out. Arkansas has seen unprecedented amount of special interest money being poured into its elections this year and it will only increase over the next fourteen days. While we cannot reverse what has already been done, we can lessen the impact of big money in future elections. I know that we can take back control of our democracy, but we must come together and take action.

I believe that water is a human right, and we need to protect it. This bill would allow NJ municipalities to sell their publicly owned water utility WITHOUT public input. To protest this, a petition with 15% of the voters' signatures would need to be filed with the municipal clerk within 20 days of notice of the sale! This bill denies our rights as citizens a say in OUR water, and a choice in the sale. This bill also will result in higher costs for ratepayers as it requires the public owner to submit sensitive information to the private bidders. This bill does not support us, but instead supports private companies in more easily purchasing and profiting off of people's basic needs, water.

The building will invade privacy by allowing views into neighboring homes, will block views, and the now discreet campus will become an industrial feeling business building. A building of this scale does not belong in our residential community and goes against the original Terra Linda Master Plan of neighborhood schools!

I would like Rails and Trails running between Remsen Lake Placid corridor so people that like trails can have trail runs, walk and bike on and those people like me would like to have upgraded and have ski trains in the winter time and etc. There is no reason why we can't have both rails and trails because we can.

Teresa Giudice was sentenced to serve 15 months in prison for a white collar crime. I say she can serve her time under house arrest so her four little girls can stay with their mother.

Because the skinny jeans were amazing

Southern Illinois is the nexus of two major faults zones, the New Madrid and the Wabash and a secondary fault line called the Cottage Grove Fault. Science and data continue to link increased seismic activity with fracking. Last week, a new report shows earthquakes in Ohio were triggered by hydraulic fracturing (http://bit.ly/11ZfObI). Oil and gas industry injections appear to be bringing faults to their critical thresholds. Earthquakes are not a gamble to which we should be subjected. Ban Fracking in the Illinois fault zones!

Beautiful, strong, and wild, America’s wolves once ranged across most of the United States. More than a symbol of wilderness, wolves have kept nature in balance and have helped maintain healthy populations of other important species. But centuries of hunting, trapping, and poisoning, and a government-sponsored eradication campaign, had essentially eliminated wolves from the American landscape. Today, thanks to the Endangered Species Act, wolves are finally beginning to recover in wild places and are once again a vital part of America’s natural heritage. Yet the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) has no plans to restore wolves to substantial areas of wilderness where they once lived. And, even more disturbing, FWS no longer wants to protect wolves as an endangered species. We have a responsibility to use the best available science to leave behind a legacy of protecting all endangered species for our children and future generations. We are gravely concerned that actions by state and federal agencies aim to undermine wolf recovery.

Student loan debt has surpassed $1.2 trillion, and Americans are struggling to handle the burden of their education debt. That is why it is so important the Department of Education expands PAYE to help borrowers manage their student loans. Get more information on enrolling in these programs! -http://www.consumerfinance.gov/paying-for-college/repay-student-debt/#Question-1

Please tell California State Legislators to STOP approving a second-class system of medical treatment for injured workers and that the laws they approved in 2012 is discriminatory and unconscionable and needs to be changed!