I launched the
Heartland PAC website last August. The goal of the site and the organization is to gain majority status by electing governors and other down-ballot candidates.
This cannot happen unless we offer solutions to issues people care about. Bold new ideas can make the difference for those who want to ensure Democrats win on Election Day.
To begin offering solutions both tested and new, we started the first in a series of single topic discussions through our website, offline, and with other communities like Daily Kos. The first topic was education.
Together, we gathered hundreds of ideas that spanned a broad spectrum of topics and come from some of the most knowledgeable people, including teachers, governors, parents, policy experts, students, and administrators.
On, Wednesday, November 30, we will produce the final compilation and synthesis of these ideas and send it to Democratic governors, governors-elect, and gubernatorial candidates across the country.
This has been a great community-building experience. Through other communities like DailyKos.com, we've connected an insightful and passionate group of individuals on the topic of education.
But we aren't done yet. And I believe we have an opportunity to use the power of these communities, as you have done here, at Heartland PAC, and elsewhere on the Internet.
It's easy to comment and lament without ever defining the solution, but together many of you joined in a commitment to offer solutions.
The education discussion has been our first attempt to create an online discussion that connects people around an issue, and I am inspired by the quality of ideas.
So please visit the Heartland PAC community discussion and add any final thoughts by Wednesday, November, 30th.
Here are the links to where you can review and add your comments:
Early Education
Length of the School Year
Length of School Day
Block Scheduling
K-12 Education
School Overcrowding/Construction
Curriculum
Testing
Teacher Quality
Violence in Schools
School Administration
Parental Involvement
Higher Education
Global Competition
As we close this discussion, another begins. Thanks to an idea from one of our own diarists on the Heartland PAC community blog, we have begun an effort to help define and explain what the Democratic Party stands for -- in ten words or less.
I know this community has a lot of ideas on the Democratic Party and I hope you will take the time to submit your own ten words:
www.heartlandpac.org/tenwords
I hope you have a happy Thanksgiving.