Her Facebook profile reads “Lifelong educator, military mother, grandmother, sister, author, and wife”, but who is Dr. Jill Biden and what kind of First Lady will she be? Granted, the role of the First Lady has never been clearly defined. It’s not a paying or elected position, even though they maintain a press secretary and office staff. So, what is the job of the First Lady? Are they the official White House hostess and nothing more? Should they take up causes near and dear to their heart such as literacy for the Bush First Ladies? Exercise and nutrition like Michelle Obama? Or perhaps healthcare, like Hillary Clinton? Or set out to be their husband’s eyes and ears out among the people like Eleanor Roosevelt?
Dr. Biden will be the first First Lady to continue to work at a career they had long-established before their spouse being named president. Dr. Biden has committed to continue teaching English at Northern Virginia Community College, even after assuming the role of First Lady.
Commitment to Education
Dr. Biden has often been quoted as saying “being a teacher isn’t just what she does — it’s who she is.” A long-standing member of the National Education Association (NEA), Dr. Biden earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 1975 and began her teaching career as a substitute teacher in the Wilmington, Delaware school system. After her marriage to then[1]Senator Joe Biden, she continued to teach while working toward her master’s degree at West Chester State College. In 1981, Dr. Biden earned a Master of Education with a specialty in reading.
After the birth of the Biden’s daughter Ashley, she returned to teaching English, acting as a reading specialist, and teaching history to emotionally disabled students. Dr. Biden went on to earn her second graduate degree, a Master of Arts in English from Villanova University in 1987.
In 2007, at the age of 55 Dr. Biden went on to earn her doctorate in educational leadership from the University of Delaware. Even the topic of her dissertation, Student Retention at the Community College: Meeting Students Needs demonstrates Biden’s commitment to community colleges and the opportunities they offer. When asked about her 30 plus year career as an educator, “Dr. B” has often said she feels most at home in her role as a teacher. Dr. Biden has always said that community colleges are “one of America’s best-kept secrets.” As a teacher, she sees how community colleges have changed the lives of so many of her students for the better.
During the Obama administration, as Second Lady, Dr. Biden worked to underscore the important role of community colleges play in creating the best, most educated workforce in the world. And in October of 2010, she hosted the first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges and led the Community College to Career Tour, highlight industry partnerships between community colleges and employers.
“I think she makes an important statement for women across the world by saying that she stands on her own two feet—that she does not impede her husband’s career,” said Dr. McClellan, Dean of Liberal Arts at Northern Virginia Community College.
Being a working woman and teacher has been a part of who Dr. Jill Biden is from the beginning of her marriage to President Biden, she’s given little indication that will change. She continued to teach throughout her husband’s time in the Senate, and as Second Lady. Pre-election interviews indicate that Jill Biden plans to make free community college a focus in her role as First Lady. This is in keeping with President Biden’s education platform, which includes a proposal to make all public colleges and universities tuition-free for students whose families earn under $125,000.
Active and Accountable
Author of “Where the Light Enters: Building a Family, Discovering Myself”, Dr. Biden has coped with public life, political scrutiny, blended family dynamics, and deep personal loss. Throughout it all, her unwavering commitment to education has helped define who she is and how she sees herself. In 2011, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Biden, as the wife of then[1]Vice President Joe Biden, launched Joining Forces 2011 to encourage members of the public and the private sector to find ways to support service members, veterans, their families, and their caregivers. The program focused on education, employment, and wellness. In the days leading up to the Inauguration of Joe Biden as the 46th President of the United States, named Rory Brosius as Executive Director to Joining Forces. As First Lady, Dr. Biden plans to build on what she had learned during the Obama-Biden administration to continue to serve this community.
As an NEA member, Dr.Biden has stood up for unions, union members, and collective bargaining. When asked about her thoughts on a Biden Administration’s education plan during the 2020 primaries, Dr. Biden is quoted as saying, “Joe’s plan invests in educators – by paying them competitive salaries, increasing career opportunities, and helping them pay off their student loan debt. He is going to protect and expand their rights to organize and bargain collectively.”
A First For A First Lady
“Education teaches us compassion and kindness, connection with others.” -Dr. Jill Biden
Every presidency brings a shift in dynamics to the White House, thanks in part to the First Lady. When Dr. Biden returns to teaching this spring, she will most likely have to teach virtually from the White House because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
For a woman who has spent her life juggling work, family, and political duties, there is no reason to think that Dr. Biden will be different than so many other women, doing it all without giving up on their careers or identity. If the role of the First Lady is to inspire and enlighten girls and women in this country and around the world, then Dr. Biden and her passion for teaching and learning will serve as an example of the importance of a lifetime of service committed to education.
Nicole Hudson is the Founder of Hudson Collective, an integrated digital strategy and communications firm focused on supporting various sectors in elevating their online presence and activating their communities. Hudson’s strategies are driven to deliver compelling messages and a suite of business tactics that engage, inform and influence the client’s communities to action.