Voices Question

EDUCATION: cultivating imagination, making college affordable; RESEARCH & INNOVATIONS: alternative energy for clean air, clean water, safe food, new markets to be the visionary leader again; UNIVERSAL HEALTHCARE so nobody dies because money is an issue to acquire treatment (and no person or family has to choose between homelessness or life); putting Main Street back to work by rebuilding INFRASTRUCTURE with interconnected mass transit systems, telecommunications, rebuilding highways, and buildings; loans and grants to TRUE SMALL BUSINESSES on Main Street; fund USA’s constitution ideal of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I'd like to see drug testing eliminated and past criminal histories with marijuana disallowed in questioning regarding arrests. The vast majority of my high school students have this in their background and/or are occasional recreational users only. It saddens me to see so many, especially the minority young men, unable to find even minimum-wage level of employment due to this. I believe many would do the jobs done by illegals or immigrants if allowed. If they can't get jobs, they will burden our society and tend to just continue drug use since they seem to be of no productive use or value to anyone else. How sad!

Programs for training US citizens in areas of technology: specifically, process engineering, information technology, bio and environmental engineering, computer simulation and so on would be very useful. Some of the most successful programs in training US citizens have been those particularly targeted to those in the work force who may have lost jobs or are in transition.

I want Obama to roll back the domestic spying program which has cost us our constitutional rights and then I would like to see more community control over broadband accessibility and the development of community broadband. I would also like to see federal funding for the high-speed rail (which moron Kasich deep-sixed) restored to Ohio. I want Obama to stop the corporate takeover of our government (also known as 'fascism')

Our manufacturing plants are starting to dry up and many workers have been laid off. This creates a highly competitive world for the few jobs left in the area. The plan would allow our Trade Workers to stay in the local area. We have seen time and time again new construction project start and are excited that our Trade Workers have work only to find out that the construction company has brought out of town help to work on the project. Third the Jobs Plan would allow our Technical College’s to educate and retrain dislocated workers.

The District has released so many support staff to save teacher jobs so custodial and secretarial jobs have been eliminated - the rooms are no longer cleaned, the paper work of three is there for 1 support person and the supply budgets are next to nothing....causing teachers to shell out of their own pockets for most everything from paper clips to computer cartridges. Schools need jobs, jobs and more jobs to operate effectively. Art and Music should be there for all students as well instead of chopping creativity up into nanno bites.........our first world educational status is funded like a 3rd world country - not too smart really.........

In 2006, I was laid off for the third time in twelve years as a part-time community college instructor of ethnic studies. Since then, I’ve maintained an active classroom job search while working temporary and part-time for AFT Washington. I want more than almost anything to return to the classroom, but there are weeks at a time when there is not a single job opening in my field in any college nationwide. It is as though in the middle of his second term, former President Bush the 2nd quietly let it be known that he and his party regarded the “race issue” as solved and there was no further need for ethnic studies courses. Yeah, sure!

I have been teaching students in both N.J. and currently in Florida. More resources would be welcomed ! Our classrooms are severely limited with budget constraints. For example, ordering textbooks for students to take home and reference is not taking place. Access to computers and technology is not a priority. Teachers are leaving the classroom at an alarming rate. Increase teacher pay so college students will be attracted to the most rewarding profession there is; instead they are studying for other degrees !

Our children need healthier food, more exercise, and higher levels of cerebral development. We need to provide physical education/exercise everyday. Our cafeterias and hallways at this time are uncivilized in many cases. We need model programs for children to learn appropriate social skills in transition, eating, exercise, play, social, and performance areas of our schools. Bring back our law enforcement and hall monitors. Research has proven time and again that art vocal and instumental music require simultaneous use of both sides of the brain, and that this increases cognitive functioning. Why are we cutting programs that make kids smarter?

The first thing he needs to do is to change the disparity in who pays taxes and how much is paid by whom. What happened to things being equal? Next, jobs need to come home and American-made products should line the shelves of stores. Those two things would change the face of our country.

I am absolutely sure that President Obma's vision about education had always been what he expressed in the American Jobs Act speach. My concerning is if our state and city official and politicians will follow President Obama wishes, especially on our special education population.

The most immediate help we need is in education. Our education system has continued to suffer from cutbacks in funding, while the current State administration demands better performance from teachers, who are seen to be solely responsible for student progress. Class sizes have increased, there is not enough money for materials, and teachers have had no raises while sustaining increases in insurance costs and retirement contributions. The stress of working to produce data and do well on tests is superseding the importance of teaching children and creating a love of learning!

Do NOT use any public dollars to support corporatization of public schools, e.g., building charter schools. Use PUBLIC money to support fully PUBLIC schools.

Enact E-Verify to assure that any jobs go to Americans! No contract to any contractor or company who does not use E-Verify. Then fix our infrastructure and help the seniors living at or around the poverty level.

I would like to see a focus on SUPPORT for education. This means teacher jobs, but it also means jobs for those who support teachers. Locally we have seen drastic cuts in maintenance, custodial, security, food service, transportation workers, clerical, computer tech support, media center personnel,and paraprofessionals. While teacher are important, and I appluad a plan to increase those numbers, teachers' jobs are made exponentially more difficult by these cuts in positions of people who provide important services in a school. And the education of students suffers. I would like to see efforts to preserve those important services as well.

Placing more teachers (the Ed Jobs money wasn't spent on jobs). We are down 400 teachers without an appreciable reduction in students.

Improving our transportation systems in and around Louisiana. Especially in major routes, like New Orleans to Baton Rouge, New Orleans to various communities on the Northshore, Northshore to Baton Rouge, Acadian communities to New Orleans, Baton Rouge, major system to our Northern communities and back to South Louisiana. High speed rail systems coupled with street type of people movers, buses, street cars, etc. Connecting the various colleges, universities, schools, etc. Locate parking lots for automobiles, bikes, for people to park and ride near the major mass tranist stations. Walkways to get people moving. Using smart groth concept

Generate more revenue for the state by building up tourism in the Providence area. Devise more that will attract outsiders to the city besides shopping and dining. This will create jobs and boost revenue. Perhaps perfect the museums and theatre. Be innovative and offer tourists attractions that are unique to other states.

I am one of those teachers that are out of their full time position. President Obama's American Job Act brings hope to us teachers that our most wanted desire is to do our job. We just want to teach!

Sounds great. As long as there is built-in protection for those funds. The last time Congress tried to save teachers' jobs, they sent money to our state (Louisiana) that was earmarked for education. Our state legislators, spurred on by a business backing governor (Jindal) then basically stole those funds by shorting the state funding to education by the exact amoount received from the federal government. The funds stolen from education were used to balance the budget, saving other people's jobs, but resulting in layoffs for teachers.

Put Educational Assistants in every Kindergarten classroom. This first year of children's educational experience is so essential to their entire lives! The teachers need the support!

My community of Holbrook, MA, is badly in need of a new high school. The present plant is very run down, under-staffed, and under-equipped. Various proposals have been raised by the school board to improve the situation, including regionalization and a new public school complex that would go from kindergarten to high school. Despite the many issues raised and much discussion, funding of a new school plant and maintaining an adequate teaching staff with decent salaries are the current stumbling blocks. Help from the American Jobs Act would help fill the need here in many ways with many jobs, including construction.

I would like him to put more money back into education. And more money applied to unemployment. This is which we here in Kansas City, Mo need the help. Our state is the wishy washy state that I have ever known. The republicans donot want us to have anything. I know it is a crisis around the country, but, help our students who go to school and College. Put the money where it is very much needed. Hire some of the old teachers who can get and keep accredition, all this accountable stuff. Teachers have been accountable for years, I haven't seen one yet, that wasn't. It is okay to have young, but old needs to model.

Seems simple, hire more teachers, and reduce class sizes. A win win for kids, our education system, our country, our economy. The government's cut backs in school funding has resulted in the loss of jobs. HIRE MORE TEACHERS,REDUCE CLASS SIZE. Teachers help prepare those who ARE the future of this country, and this is where funds are being cut. Does that even make sense? Classes are overloaded, schools underfunded, and our paychecks don't reflect the important work we do. Beef up our educational system and close tax loop holes. I hope Congress will not stand in our President's way as he tries to make this happen. I will be watching and voting.

Let me tell you what I see. In Baton Rouge the local school board robbed central of much needed money to keep the schools up. Instead they sent it into the inner city where the money was wasted and the central schools started to fall apart!! When central became its own city the people thats right the people let me say that again because after reading your letter you dont get it so I will say it again THE PEOPLE got the schools back in shape. Parents, and others came out and took time to clean, paint,and wash, to helped the school get back in shape. Now you send good money after bad helping the very people that are destroying new buildings!