First Lady Pool Reports of October 19, 2022

FLOTUS pool report #1 / Communities in schools town hall

Hi all, I'm your FLOTUS pooler for this morning's event. Today she is headed to the Communities in Schools Leadership Town Hall Conference. She will speak at 11:15am ET.

The First Lady's office passed along the following information:

On Wednesday, October 19th at 11:15 AM ET, the First Lady will deliver remarks at the Communities In Schools (CIS) Leadership Town Hall Conference to highlight their national network's efforts to improve academic achievement and build stronger relationships between students, parents, educators, and local communities. The First Lady will highlight the Biden Administration's efforts to support the powerful partnership between teachers and parents in supporting student success. This is CIS' national conference, which brings together around 350 individuals from the network leadership including program directors, executive leaders, and board members.

In July 2022, the Biden-Harris Administration joined education and youth development organizations to launch the National Partnership for Student Success (NPSS) with a goal of providing students with an additional 250,000 tutors and mentors over the next three years. The Administration named Communities in Schools (CIS) a supporting champion among a diverse coalition that connects nonprofits, school districts, state and local education agencies, federal agencies, philanthropy, and national and community organizations to support increased access to and implementation of student support programs.

Speaking Program:

• 2021 National Teacher of the Year Juliana Urtubey
• First Lady Jill Biden

The First Lady has been a fierce advocate for educators and students across the country. Most recently:

• October 2022: The First Lady visited students, parents, and educators at a Milwaukee Public Schools' "Homework Diner" at Westside Academy in Milwaukee, WI. This "Homework Diner," the first at Westside Academy, aims to build strong partnerships between teachers and families.
• October 2022: On National Manufacturing Day, the First Lady visited Bates Technical College (BTC) in Tacoma, WA, to highlight its job training programs as leading examples for community college and technical career pipelines that connect current high school and postsecondary students to resources and opportunities.
• September 2022: The First Lady and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona kicked off the Road to Success Back to School Bus Tour in Knoxville, Tennessee and Greensboro, North Carolina. The First Lady and Secretary Cardona highlighted ways states and districts are recruiting and preparing qualified educators for the classroom, and met with teachers and teachers-in-training who were participating in leading teacher pipeline programs in Tennessee and North Carolina. The Department of Education's Road to Success Back to School Bus Tour showcased the many ways school communities are supporting students and teachers, including utilizing historic resources for schools provided by the Biden-Harris Administration's American Rescue Plan.
  • Along the tour, the First Lady collaborated with Pinterest to honor and support educators, and invite the Pinterest community to show teacher appreciation all year long. This collaboration includes Dr. Biden's personalized Pinterest boardwith tips on mentorship and health and wellness, a new digital series featuring tips for teachers from the 2022 State Teachers of the Year, and easy DIY teacher appreciation projects that can be replicated in communities all year long.
• August 2022: The First Lady joined a Roosevelt Room meeting hosted by the White House Domestic Policy Council to outline the Biden-Harris Administration's new public and private sector actions to strengthen the teaching profession and support schools in their effort to address teacher shortages as the new school year begins. Those efforts are outlined in the fact sheet HERE.

Additional background on Dr. Biden's history as a teacher:

• As a classroom teacher for more than 30 years, the First Lady continues to shine a spotlight on teachers and the profession.
• Dr. Biden continues to teach English and writing at Northern Virginia Community College, where she has been a professor since 2009.

CIS Leadership Town Hall:
The 2022 CIS Leadership Town Hall Conference's theme is "The Power of IN: One Network, One Purpose." After two years of not being able to convene in person due to the pandemic, CIS is convening a Leadership Town Hall from October 17th to 19th in Washington, D.C., to provide an opportunity for its network to engage in thought-provoking dialogue and network with colleagues. CIS expects 300-350 attendees, including program directors, executive leaders, and board members.

Communities In Schools:
Communities in Schools (CIS) is a national organization that supports 2,900 schools across 26 states and the District of Columbia by connecting students with community resources. Communities In Schools was established in the 1970s when founder Bill Milliken, then a youth advocate in New York City, devised the concept of bringing community resources inside public schools—where they are accessible, coordinated, and accountable. CIS operates through affiliates that impact 1.61 million kids across the country.

FLOTUS pool report #2 / CIS speech thanking them for their work

FLOTUS left the WH at 11:00 am ET, arrived at the Grand Hyatt Washington at 11:04.

The First Lady entered the room at 11:24pm and was introduced by 2021 National Teacher of the Year Juliana Urtubey.

Urtubey told a story about FLOTUS helping her when she had speaking anxiety at a WH event in 2021. Urtubey said: "As I gave my speech on the White House lawn I froze. In front of my colleagues, the Secretary of Education, the First Lady, national media, I froze and my anxiety kicked in. But before I knew it, Dr. Biden had left her post on the stage and wrapped her arms around me and whispered, it's gonna be okay. Hearing her words, snapped me back into my purpose."

FLOTUS began speaking at 11:29pm ET. She is in a midnight blue velvet dress.

"After the disruptions of the pandemic, your work has become even more important, whether it's organizing school food pantries or setting up after school tutoring or working with the community to bring in doctors and counselors and health specialists, you're giving families the support they need to thrive."

"I know I'm seeing it in my classroom this last year, how much students need help with mental health."

"When we lighten the burden on teachers, they can do what they do best—teach, counsel, create and inspire."

FLOTUS ended her remarks at 11:37am ET and left the hotel at 11:41 am ET.

That’s it from me for this event! Another pooler is taking over for this evening’s event.

FLOTUS DNC pool #1

Hi everyone, I'm your FLOTUS pooler today for this evening's event.

Jill Biden left the White House at 4:57pm ET and arrived to the DNC headquarters in Washington D.C., at 5:04 ET.

She is set to thank staff for their hard work leading up to the midterms.

Background attributed to a Biden official:
Jill Biden will be recording voter education videos for the DNC before her speech, and will thank staff and volunteers. The DNC will also be virtually phone banking after she leaves.

The pool is holding in a room with young people making posters with markers touting various issues like "vote".

FLOTUS DNC pool #2

FLOTUS, wearing a blue velvet dress, went up on stage at the DNC event at 5:30 PM ET.

Posters behind her read "Defend Choice," "Elect Democrats," and "Restore Roe."

The crowd was cheering "we want Jill!" before she came on stage and before she spoke.

Emily Frost, the National Calls Manager for the DNC, came on stage before FLOTUS to introduce the First Lady, stressing that the DNC will be calling to Pennsylvania and Wisconsin today to talk to voters before the midterms.

Highlighted quotes from FLOTUS:
"I just wanted to be here with three weeks to go and thank you for all that you're doing."

"Of course you know, I'm Philly girl, so I'm glad that you're calling into my home state of Philadelphia or Pennsylvania."

"If you remember you probably do that they counted Joe out early, and they said oh, we can't win and he can't win. But that it was people like you true believers who said yes he's going to win. And you made the difference. You went knocking on those doors. You went calling people, you drove people to the polls. It's people like you who make the difference because one vote matters. Your one vote can change our election. And you cannot forget you are powerful. You have to remember that you have to hold that in your heart."

FLOTUS left the stage at 5:34 PM ET.

She then shook hands with young people at the DNC event, and said,

"You are the ones that allow us to win!"

After FLOTUS leaves, the DNC will largest virtual phone bank this cycle and will call to Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

That's all!