By Sonia Sachar

                                      Silicon Valley’s political battle is certainly heating up and Ro Khanna is giving a tough fight to Mike Honda for 17th District, Congressional seat in the heart of the Silicon Valley with support growing for his vision of strengthening the Education and Women in Workplace. With the U.S. midterm elections just weeks away, the prominent Indian-American lawyer has been raising important issues about Focus on education and women in workplace where the American economic competitiveness has suffered.

                                    Some of the major issues Ro highlights include, incorporating stem education technology in the classroom. His instance is global economic competitiveness begins not in the marketplace, but in schools, yet the education sector lacks the positivity and underperforms, despite higher spending. Following this, Khanna makes his stand clear that this transformation will be the right opportunity for him to make significant changes as nothing can replace a qualified and passionate teacher’s ability to affect a student’s life .

The teachers should be rewarded based on their performance.   He proposes to introduce coding to the classrooms in elementary and secondary schools. But in Fremont schools, there is still lack of emphasis on coding and some of the schools offer very little support to encourage students who would like to learn to code.  In Silicon Valley there is high demand of skilled computer programmers and yet the District lags far behind the industry demands to prepare students. Perhaps the education industry partnerships could reduce these gaps.  Ro also realizes that it is hard to lure Math and Science teachers and therefore proposes to offer tax incentives and commit more federal funds to help recruit math and science teachers.  Engineers are growing in great demand over the years across the country and have higher earning potential and greater job security than their counterparts in many other industries. Yet only one in seven engineers is a woman. Isn’t that hard to fathom in 21st century?

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                                   Khanna has highlighted his stand on removing workplace inequities which in turn will make women’s presence more in corporate boardrooms. In addition, he also states that the only possible way this could be brought to reality is by recognizing the companies that are dedicated to hiring women and helping women ascend the corporate ladder. Ro Khanna has come out with some bold ideas in his campaign, which is devised on increasing the presence of women and girls in engineering classrooms and in the private sector. In addition, he’s also appealed to highlight women leaders in STEM fields, like Marissa Mayer here in Silicon Valley.  

                                 The biggest challenge many startups currently face is how to attain capital. So giving women the opportunity to highlight their ideas is what the Indian-American has constantly stated in his vision of strengthening the Education and Women in Workplace. Adding to that, Khanna has also reached out in his campaign that The Department of Commerce should host regular showcases or “start-up fairs” where innovators can display their ideas to potential investors.  Ro secured the backing of the Silicon Valley top investors and executives.

                                 Regardless of party, these top two contenders are edging closer to elections in an overwhelmingly way, it’s likely that this intramural battle between the incumbent and the upstart will go down in the history books. “It’s time for a change”!   

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