ICYMI: First Lady Jill Biden and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona Kick Off Department of Education Back to School Bus Tour by Recognizing and Supporting Educators

On Monday, First Lady Jill Biden and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona kicked off the Department of Education's Road to Success Back to School Bus Tour with multiple stops focused on the ways states and districts are recruiting and preparing qualified educators for the classroom, and meet with teachers and teachers-in-training who are participating in leading teacher pipeline programs in Tennessee and North Carolina.

The Department's week-long, multi-state road trip aims to showcase the many ways the Biden-Harris Administration is helping schools, students, and educators recover from the pandemic and thrive this back-to-school season – putting them on the road to success.

In addition to participating in 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 board with 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.

Read more about the Back-to-School Tour below:

NBC TODAY Show: Jill Biden surprises Tennessee teachers with newly renovated lounge
[Anna Kaplan, 9/13/22]

First lady Jill Biden visited an elementary school in Knoxville, Tennessee, to celebrate educators already in the profession, inspire those considering a career in the classroom and deliver a surprise for teachers at the school. On Sept. 13, Biden sat down with TODAY's Sheinelle Jones in an exclusive interview to tell her about how she gave back to teachers at Sarah Moore Green Magnet Academy by unveiling a new lounge to help them recharge throughout the day, inspired by her own Pinterest board.

Knoxville News Sentinel: First lady Jill Biden to UT students: 'Teaching isn't just what we do, it's who we are'
[Becca Wright, 9/12/22]

But then, Principal Robin Curry took the microphone. "We have a very special guest with us today," Curry said. "The president's wife, Dr. Jill Biden!" Biden greeted Curry outside the school before they made their way to Kaitlyn Baker's third-grade classroom. It was hard for students to pay attention after Biden, U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and reporters with cameras entered the room, but after a quick introduction, the students went back to working on their foundational phonics skills.

WVLT (CBS Knoxville, TN): First Lady commends Tennessee's 'Grow Your Own' teacher pipeline program
[Ashley Bohle, 9/12/22]

The First Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, a former English teacher, toured Sarah Moore Greene Magnet Academy in Knoxville and spoke at the University of Tennessee's campus to see what educators in Tennessee are doing differently to recruit, respect and retain teachers. "Teaching isn't just what we do, it's who we are, right," Dr. Jill Biden said during her speech at UT, "For all of us who have answered this calling, there's someone who didn't or someone who felt like maybe they had to walk away." For those who want to become a teacher, Tennessee has pioneered a new journey. The 'Grow Your Own' program has strengthened Tennessee's educator pipeline. Tennessee is the first state to create an apprentice program approved by the Department of Labor. Tennessee's Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn addressed a crowd that filled the UT Student Union, "Grow Your Own is one of those ideas. It's a big, bold action step that we can do not just in the state of Tennessee but as a country, something to ensure that anyone who wants to be a teacher, can become a teacher for free and get paid to do so."

WLOS (ABC Asheville, NC): First Lady Jill Biden plans stops in Tennessee & North Carolina for education events
[Kari Borrows, 9/10/22]

First Lady Jill Biden is planning to travel to Tennessee and North Carolina on Monday, holding events to kick off the Road to Success Back to School Bus Tour. A press release from the U.S. Department of Educations says Dr. Biden will be traveling with U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona in order to "highlight ways states and districts are recruiting and preparing qualified educators for the classroom, and meet with teachers and teachers-in-training who are participating in leading teacher pipeline programs in Tennessee and North Carolina." The Road to Success Back to School Bus Tour is showcasing the ways communities are supporting students and teachers.

WBIR (ABC Knoxville, TN): Jill Biden, U.S. Secretary of Education visit East Tennessee on Road to Success Bus Tour
[Diamond Carroll, 9/8/22]

First Lady Jill Biden and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona kicked off their Road to Success Back to School Bus Tour in Knoxville on Monday. "Teaching isn't just what we do. It's who we are. But for all of us who have answered this calling, there's someone who didn't or someone who felt like maybe they had to walk away," Dr. Jill Biden said. "If we want to add more bright, talented people into this field — if we want educators to be able to do what they do best — we have to give them the support that they deserve." The first lady met with third grade students and a panel of teachers participating in Tennessee's Grow Your Own Initiative at Sarah Moore Greene Elementary School.
Sec. Cardona said he hopes that program will be replicated across the country. "What you're doing in Tennessee is a big deal," he said. "You were the first state to launch a registered teaching apprenticeship in the country."

WTVC NewsChannel 9 (ABC Chattanooga, Tennessee): First Lady Jill Biden visits Knoxville area on Education tour with Secretary Cardona
[9/12/22]

First Lady Jill Biden visited Tennessee for her "Road to Success Back to School Bus Tour" Monday.
She and the Secretary of Education, Miguel Cardona, visited several schools in the Knoxville area. This includes the University of Tennessee. There they were welcomed by university students and personnel, as well as Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon and Tennessee Education Commissioner Penny Schwinn.
While speaking at UTK, First Lady Biden stressed the president's belief that teachers are important and urged more people to take up the profession. "He cares so deeply about this. He will never stop working to recruit more people into this profession, to support mentoring educators and restore dignity and respect that we all deserve," says First Lady Biden. They met with teachers participating in Tennessee's Grow Your Own Initiative. It aims to strengthen the state's educator pipeline. The first lady has other stops planned in North Carolina and the Virginias.

Fox News 8 (Greensboro, N.C.): First Lady Jill Biden speaks at North Carolina A&T State University in Greensboro
[Justyn Melrose, 9/12/22]

Biden and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona will visit Greensboro, as well as Knoxville, Tennessee, to kick off what they're calling the "Success Back to School Bus Tour." Biden will be joining only for these first two stops of the tour. The tour aims to showcase ways that schools are helping students to recover after the pandemic, particularly using resources made available through the American Rescue Plan. They will also discuss how states and school districts are recruiting and preparing teachers. "It's a great feeling to see yellow school buses drive around our communities with excited children who are ready to thrive in this new school year," Cardona said. "I am thrilled to be traveling across the eastern states and highlighting innovative ways local, state, and federal efforts are helping students recover and succeed in and out of the classroom. This year will be one of the most important ever, as we not only work to catch students up, but put them in a position to do even better than where they were before March 2020."

OakRidger: First lady Jill Biden visits East Tennessee on tour to build up teacher workforce
[Rebecca Wright, 9/12/22]

First lady Jill Biden celebrated Tennessee's teacher apprenticeship program Monday with stops at a Knoxville elementary school and the University of Tennessee. Biden, a teacher herself, chatted at Sarah Moore Greene Elementary School in East Knoxville with educators participating in the Grow Your Own Initiative. She made her way, followed by many reporters with cameras, to Kaitlyn Baker's third-grade classroom. It was hard for students to pay attention after Biden and U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona entered the room, but after a quick introduction, the students went back to working on their foundational phonics skills. "They've never been this silent before," Baker joked. The Grow Your Own program is part of Tennessee's solution to the statewide teacher shortage that was exasperated by the pandemic. The apprenticeship programs allow training teachers to work toward their degree and teaching license while earning money by teaching alongside professionals in a school district.
After the program, participants are hired into the district they trained in as fully licensed Tennessee teachers.

WFMY (CBS Greensboro, N.C.): First Lady Jill Biden highlights NC A&T's Aggie Academy on education tour
[Terrence Jefferies, 9/11/22]

First Lady Dr. Jill Biden visited North Carolina A&T State University on Monday. She said the Triad is leading the way in education. The visit was part of her tour to bring attention to the areas of concern in education. Dr. Jill Biden spoke about the efforts of a diverse workforce, crediting A&T for its programs. She said the Biden-Harris Administration is working to knock out any obstacles that get in the way for those who want to become teachers. "You'll know this too, that your president and his administration are working every day to make sure that you have the support, respect, and pay you deserve," Dr. Biden said. The Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona, A&T leaders and Congresswoman Kathy Manning joined Dr. Biden. Dr. Biden highlighted North Carolina A&T for its programs to get qualified educators in the classroom, like having their own Aggie Academy, which allowed College of Education students to teach kids before entering the workforce.

NC Policy Watch (The Pulse Blog): First lady Jill Biden urges students at N.C. A&T to consider teaching careers
[Greg Childress, 9/13/22]

U.S. first lady Jill Biden on Monday urged students attending historically Black N.C. A&T State University in Greensboro to consider a teaching career. Surrounded by elementary school students from the university's new Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (S.T.E.M.)-themed Aggie Academy, Biden said students of color deserve teachers who "look like them and who can understand their paths." All students benefit when schools employ teachers from diverse backgrounds, Biden said. "To better serve all of our students, our classrooms need diverse perspectives and the chance to learn from teachers of every single background and that's why we're here today to recruit you," Biden said.

The News & Observer (The Herald Sun): First Lady Jill Biden will talk in NC about teacher recruitment, help for students
[Danielle Battaglia, 9/7/22]

First Lady Jill Biden is coming to Greensboro on Monday to launch a bus tour on education. It's dubbed the Road to Success Back to School Bus Tour. Biden is traveling with U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona to discuss how schools are helping students recover and thrive using COVID-19 relief money from the American Rescue Plan, a news release from White House officials' states. They plan to discuss how states and school districts are recruiting and preparing qualified educators for the classroom, according to the news release.