Pool Reports of August 31, 2022

In-Town Pool Report #1

Good afternoon,

Per White House press aide: "This morning, President Biden called Mayor Chokwe Lumumba of Jackson, Mississippi, to hear firsthand from the Mayor about the urgent situation with access to clean and safe water. They discussed emergency response efforts underway, including support from FEMA, EPA and the Army Corps, and the President expressed his determination to provide Federal support to address the immediate crisis and the longer term effort to rebuild Jackson's water infrastructure."

The press briefing is at 2:45pm ET. It will be livestreamed here: https://www.whitehouse.gov/live/

Please reach out with any questions.

In-Town Pool Report #2

President Biden unexpectedly popped his head into the First Lady’s meeting on education in Roosevelt Room hosted by the White House Domestic Policy Council.

The event was focused on the administration's efforts to strengthen the teaching profession and support schools in their effort to address teacher shortages as the new school year begins.

Ahead of the event, the White House released this Fact Sheet: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/08/31/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-public-and-private-sector-actions-to-strengthen-teaching-profession-and-help-schools-fill-vacancies/

Background on that event from the FLOTUS pool:

BACKGROUND | August 31, 2022
This morning, the Biden-Harris Administration announced new efforts 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, and include the following:

• New commitments from leading job platforms, ZipRecruiter, Indeed, and Handshake to make it easier for Americans to find opportunities in the education field
• New initiatives from AFT and NEA, and national and state organizations to expand high-quality pathways into the profession for future teachers, including registered teacher apprenticeship programs.
• New Dear Colleague letter from Sec. Cardona and Sec. Walsh outlining a series of actions state and local leaders can take to support teachers and schools.

As part of this announcement, First Lady Jill Biden will participate in a Roosevelt Room meeting hosted by the White House Domestic Policy Council to outline these new public and private sector actions and discuss strategies to address the teacher shortage in the short and long term. This meeting will include the following participants:

• Domestic Policy Advisor Susan Rice
• U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona
• U.S. Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh
• New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy
• Tennessee Commissioner of Education Penny Schwinn
• American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten
• National Education Association President Becky Pringle
• American Association of Colleges for Teacher Education President Lynn Gangon
• ZipRecruiter CEO Ian Siegel
• Handshake CEO Garrett Lord
• Indeed Senior Vice President Maggie Hulce

To Date -- Biden Administration’s Efforts on School Staffing Challenges

• These announcements build on the President’s long-standing staffing challenges facing our schools, exacerbated by the pandemic.
• $130 billion in President Biden’s American Rescue Plan was directed to the nation’s K-12 schools. This has allowed school districts across the country to invest in teacher pipeline programs, increase teacher pay, and hire more professionals across the education workforce. Compared to years prior to the pandemic, this funding has allowed:
  
  • 54% increase in the number of school social workers
  • 22% increase in the number of school counselors
  • 22% increase the number of school nurses

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 spotlight on teachers and the profession.
• This fall the First Lady will continue to be a fierce champion for teachers and focus on the ways the Biden Administration is working to strengthen teacher recruitment and retention, and celebrate the profession.

Additional Background on Registered Teacher Apprenticeship Programs:

• Registered teacher apprenticeship programs allow individuals – including those already working in schools, like teaching assistants – to earn while they learn, receiving pay while they gain teaching skills with the supervision of a mentor teacher, and take coursework to earn their teaching license.
• This allows teachers to gain robust experience in the classroom before leading their own, and makes becoming a teacher more affordable.

In-Town Pool Report #3

More details: President Biden poked his head into the Roosevelt Room meeting with DPC, FLOTUS Secretary Cardona and Secretary Walsh, and said, "Whatever she says, I agree with." (referencing FLOTUS)

In-Town Pool Report #4

WH Press briefing starting now.

Was pushed back from 2:45pm ET start time.

In-Town Pool Report #5 - Lid

We have a lid at the White House. It is 4:10pm ET.

Have a good evening!