Tag Archives: politics

David Plouffe info@obamabiden.com

I’m writing to share some exciting news with you before it goes public.After all, it was you who made the improbable victory of President Obama possible.We’re getting ready to make a big announcement about where the Barack Obama Foundationis headed, and I don’t want you to miss it.Join the Obama Foundation today, and be the first to know.

This Foundation will not only celebrate the progress we’ve already made together but also continue to drive transformative change.

Right now, you and I have a unique opportunity to help lay the groundwork for the Foundation while the President is still in office. Let’s dream up big plans for the future of the movement we started together, and think about how we’ll inspire citizens everywhere to better their communities, their countries, and their world.

You should be part of it.

http://act.barackobamafoundation.org/ofa/join-us

Thank you,

David Plouffe
2007-2008 Campaign Manager, Obama for America
Obama Foundation Board Member

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Big win for women’s health!

05/12/2015 Nativegrl77

by Gretchen Borchelt

Fighting for women’s health isn’t easy. But we do it to ensure that all women can get the health care they need.

Thanks to your help – today, we’re one step closer to that reality.

The Health and Human Services Department (HHS) just made a major announcement siding with women over insurance companies. They made it clear that insurance companies must cover all FDA-approved forms of birth control at no-cost – and that they’ll be watching companies to make sure they follow the law.

Thank Secretary Burwell for ensuring that women get the health care they need!

Recently, the National Women’s Law Center released two reports about how insurance companies were breaking the law. They frequently failed to cover birth control as required by the law. They also did not cover other women’s no-cost preventive services, like well-woman visits, and breastfeeding support and supplies. Insurance companies were discriminating against people based on gender, age, and gender identity. Some were even excluding coverage for maternity if women enroll in their family’s plan.

The reports made major headlines – from the New York Times to Associated Press in hundreds of media outlets. And thousands of you signed a petition to HHS Secretary Sylvia Mathews Burwell asking her to make it clear to insurance companies that they need to stop breaking the law and give women the coverage they deserve under the health care law, known as the Affordable Care Act.

The Secretary heard our outrage and she acted.

Thank Secretary Burwell for taking an important step in getting women the health coverage they deserve and need.

We still have more work to do. But for today, we can celebrate what we’ve achieved.

Thanks for fighting with us for quality, affordable health care for women and their families.

And as always – thanks for keeping it personal,

Gretchen Borchelt

Acting Vice President for Health and Reproductive Rights

National Women’s Law Center

~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

did you know … how many Peruvians were forcibly sterilized

05/12/2015 Nativegrl77

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~ politics petitions pollution and pop culture

Thank a Teacher

05/08/2015 Nativegrl77

By CAP Action War Room

Three Policies To Support Teachers For Teacher Appreciation Week

We all know teachers in our lives who helped us more than we could ever fully appreciate. Well, this week is Teacher Appreciation Week, the time for all of us to let our teachers know how much they are valued by their students and the communities they serve. For the occasion, the Center for American Progress released this video showing what happens when you ask principals and administrators to thank a teacher.

But we can do more than just say thank you. We also must pass public policies that support and empower teachers to do their jobs well. Here are three such suggestions:

1. Pay them more: The average starting salary for teachers across the country is $36,141, 40 percent lower than the average starting salary of workers with college degrees, which deters younger teachers from staying in the field. We should boost teacher pay so they earn what they deserve, and so that students can learn from the best teachers we have to offer.

2. Give them meaningful leadership opportunities: Teachers should always feel valued in the work they are doing, but we should strengthen that by creating more teacher leadership roles in classrooms, schools and districts. A collaborative approach between management and teachers is crucial, especially for development new teaching materials and implementing reforms such as the Common Core. And student learning will improve as a result.

3. Reauthorize a federal education bill that supports teachers instead of failing them: The federal government has an important role to play in education by insuring that our students and teachers get a proper level of support. However, early versions of the federal education reauthorization bill would have opened the door to severe budget cuts, diluted targeted funding for teachers and cut $163 million of federal spending on Title II, funding designed to support teachers. Policymakers need to make sure that isn’t the case.

BOTTOM LINE: Be sure to take a moment thank a teacher this week. But also remember that a great way to thank our teachers is to support them with policies that give them the tools to help every student succeed.