Dear Paramendra,
My name is Randi Zuckerberg. I was born and raised in New York, attended school in New York City, and currently lead political, media, and non-profit initiatives for Facebook. Like you, I'm very excited that Reshma, at age 35, can become the youngest woman in the House of Representatives.
Reshma truly embodies the qualities of a candidate for this generation: young, energetic, whip smart, and compassionate. I've been very impressed with Reshma's smart use of social media, fully integrated into her campaign. Reshma listens to her constituents, empowers her supporters to help spread key messages, and uses Facebook and other powerful tools to include everyone in the political process.
No matter where you live, supporting candidates like Reshma is important to all of us. Please help to spread Reshma's message to everyone you know!
How can you help?
1) Connect with Reshma on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/reshma2010 by clicking on the "like" button
2) Once you "like" Reshma's Page, click "suggest to friends" link under Reshma's photo and invite your friends to support Reshma as well.
3) Update your status on Facebook with a link to Reshma's Page by typing @Reshma and choosing Reshma's Page in the drop down menu that pops up. (very cool feature that not too many people know about!)
4) Make a contribution to ensure that Reshma's campaign keeps gaining momentum! Every donor counts, no matter how big or small.
5) Sign up to petition and help get Reshma on the ballot!
6) Be responsible for getting five people you know in New York registered to vote and out to the polls on September 14th.
Thanks so much for your support -- I could not be more excited to support such a smart, talented, accomplished woman on her journey to Congress. We'll see you on Facebook now, and in Washington soon after!
Best,
Randi
P.S. Please read Reshma's smart op-ed in The Huffington Post today about education: "Don't Just Reform Our Schools...Transform Them"
Support the campaign by making a contribution and volunteering.
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You can also follow @reshma2010 on Twitter or Facebook.
Reshma Saujani: Don't Just Reform Our Schools .... Transform Them (The Huffington Post)
..... performance-based teacher evaluations and expanding the cap on charter schools ...... New York's children lost out on the first opportunity to secure $700 million in essential educational funding. ....... We are on the verge of graduating the first generation of Americans that will be less literate than the one before it. ...... we need to move past 20th century battles and get serious about 21st century transformation. ...... I wouldn't be running for Congress if my public school teachers didn't let me stand on their shoulders and see the world. ....... . In New York City, teachers are given lifetime tenure after only three years of teaching and layoff decisions are made on the basis on tenure, not performance. ...... I propose creating a Teachers to the Top program to provide Race to the Top grantees with supplemental teacher training in data management, performance tracking, and technology. In addition, we must re-balance our evaluation system from a high-stakes "testocracy" to one that more holistically measures student growth and performance. ...... Another myth is that reform is about charters schools versus traditional schools. ...... Charter schools are publically funded institutions that are privately operated, with stricter data-driven accountability and usually a non-unionized environment. ..... I propose creating RAISE, or the Readying all Instructors and Schools Exchange, an online platform facilitated by the Department of Education to promote collaboration and best practice sharing of successful instructional and school management strategies among all schools. ...... 21st century skills, such as technological fluency, financial literacy, and foreign language training. ....... ensure that every child participates in arts, music, and physical education classes and has access to healthy meals and after-school programs. ..... an era when new industries can emerge, evolve, and dissolve in one lifetime, learning cannot stop at high school - or even college. We must re-conceptualize workforce transition and continuing studies education. .......