Remarks as Prepared for Delivery by First Lady Jill Biden at a Teacher Appreciation Day Event at Glendale Middle School

Salt Lake City, Utah

Thank you, John. It’s very special to be introduced by a fellow educator and Utah’s Teacher of the Year!  

Film producer, editor, songwriter—you play so many roles in your class and you inspire your students to do the same. 

What a gift you are giving them every day. 

I also want to thank you, Rosa. You’ve represented the Mighty Lynx so well today. I know your teachers and parents are proud right now, and I see a bright future ahead of you.  

We hear so often that our country is hopelessly divided. But empathy and understanding—the values that “Show Up Utah” seeks to spread—are bigger than politics.  

First Lady Cox, I am so grateful for your work to bring this state together and for your welcome to Utah.  

Congressmen Stewart and Owens, we’re honored by your presence today.  

Principal Baillie, thank you for welcoming me here.  

And to all of my colleagues: Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!  

“What’s it like being the teacher of the worst year ever?”  

Those were the words one former student said to John Arthur when he was named Utah’s 2021 teach of the year. 

John, I can tell that, for your students—much like mine—subtlety isn’t exactly their strong suit.  

As I wrap up my own semester, I’ve been thinking about a version of that question for all of us.  

What’s it like being an educator this year? 

Well, it’s been hard.  

There’s no denying that.  

And there have been losses we’ll never get back: Lost time with each other, lost learning, and the loss of so many we love.  

For students and educators here, Eddie Valenzuela—Mr. V, as he was called—was family. And my heart is with all of you who miss him every day.  

Still, there’s been hope, too.  

I’ve been so inspired by the generosity, creativity, and dedication of educators across the country.  

In fact, I saw that today—the way educators here have helped children express themselves and find their voice through music and art. Because that’s what you do—help students navigate a world they don’t always understand. You help them find their confidence, their sense of self. Look at all you’ve done during this time. 

Which leads me to another question: How can we thank you? 

Candles are nice. Mugs and picture frames are always welcomed.  

But the best gift we can give to show our appreciation for everything you do does not come from a store.  

It’s giving you what you need to be your best. It’s investing in you, the teachers.  

Your President knows that. After all, he’s married to me and I tell him nearly every day.   

Joe believes that there is no greater investment we can make than in education, and we’ve already begun to do just that. It started by making sure all schools have what they need to reopen safely and provide support for students.  

Here at Glendale, most of your students are back in class. That’s fantastic.  

And as we work to build back better than before, he’s also going to make sure we create more mentoring programs and pathways to earn additional credentials so you can grow your career. 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.  

That’s the thanks we owe you and the promise we make to you this Teacher Appreciation Week.  

Today on Cinco de Mayo, I’m thinking about the many Mexican-Americans who have shaped our nation—including one of my favorite authors, Sandra Cisneros.  

She once said: “Once you can open yourself to joy, you feel as if you’ve transformed your sadness into illumination.” 

That’s exactly what you’ve done this year. 

Teaching is profoundly optimistic. We get to take the best of what humanity has to offer—lifetimes of knowledge, wisdom, art, science—and hand it over to the next generation.  

We say to them, “Here is what we’ve done—now what will you do with it? How will you make our world better?” 

And that optimism carries us through. It allows us to take setbacks and heartaches and challenges—and transform them into light.  

So thank you for all that you’ve done for the students of Glendale. 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 day.  

Thank you.  

###