SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The plane carrying First Lady Jill Biden to Utah touched down in Salt Lake City just before 1:30 p.m. Wednesday. Dr. Biden was greeted by Gov. Spencer Cox, Utah First Lady Abby Cox, and other state officials.
On the agenda in the Beehive State were a stop at Glendale Middle School and a pop-up vaccination clinic, White House officials said.
The First Lady thanked teachers at the school for their work during the pandemic.
Dr. Biden discussed President Joe Biden’s vision for the future of education and said she is especially qualified to hold the president accountable for giving more attention to teachers.
She explained how the administration has already focused on education in the past several weeks.
“It started by making sure that all schools have what they need to safely reopen and provide support to all of our students,” Dr. Biden said.
She added, more mentoring programs and pathways will be created to allow teachers to grow and improve their careers.
“We’re going to fund scholarships and residency programs to strengthen our education workforce and recruit more teachers of color, and we’re going to pay teachers competitive salaries,” she said.
Dr. Biden called teaching a profoundly optimistic career that allows people to take setbacks, heartaches, and challenges that are transformed into light.
Her final message was one of gratitude for the school’s teachers and staff.
“Thank you for all that you’ve done for the students of Glendale,” she said. “Thank you for your optimism. Thank you for illuminating our world. We appreciate you and we will work to show you that with our actions every single day.”
