President Joe Biden traveled to Tidewater Community College last week to promote his plans to increase government spending on families and education, including a $109 billion dollar proposal to offer two years of free community college to every American.
Accompanied by First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, a professor at Northern Virginia Community College, the president visited the HVAC lab at TCC’s Portsmouth campus May 3rd and argued that Americans need skills beyond high school for the nation to be competitive.
“When America made 12 years of public education universal in the early 1900s, it made us the best educated nation in the world,” said Biden. “But the rest of the world has caught up with us. They’re not waiting, and 12 years is no longer enough to compete with the world in the 21st century.” –Associated Press
“We need skilled technicians and the challenge we face is that the public views the trades as a last choice,” TCC HVAC instructor Harlan Krepcik told the Bidens during their visit. “Many students would do well coming to community college and getting the hands-on training necessary to enter the skilled trades.” –TCC.edu
TCC president Marcia Conston said the president’s proposal could be transformational for community colleges, and for Americans whose lives were disrupted by the coronavirus pandemic. “What we’ve seen is that a lot of individuals lost their jobs in certain fields. People need to be re-tooled, re-trained and re-skilled for different types of jobs now. By providing free tuition, that is an opportunity to open those doors so individuals can come back to college,” said Dr. Conston.
Dr. Biden, an English professor at NOVA since 2009, has been a strong advocate for the free community college proposal, noting that community college students come from many backgrounds — veterans, single parents, students just graduating high school.
“All our schools accept everyone — regardless of age or race or income or family legacy, and they offer classes that are flexible, so students don’t have to choose between work or school,” she said. –Virginian Pilot
While first ladies have often hit the road to boost the president’s agenda, experts say Biden is well positioned to build support for the White House agenda because of her experience as a political spouse and her decades spent as a teacher. –The Hill
The free community college proposal appears to have public backing. A new national poll by Morning Consult shows nearly 60 percent of Americans say they support the plan. –The Hill
But Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell makes it clear Biden’s multi-trillion dollar plans won’t get an easy pass in congress. “We’re confronted with severe challenges from a new administration, and a narrow majority of Democrats in the House and a 50-50 Senate to turn America into a socialist country, and that’s 100 percent of my focus,” said McConnell. –Axios
Free community college is only part of the president’s ambitious $1.8 trillion “American Families Plan.” It also includes proposals to boost funding for Pell Grants, HBCUs, early childhood education, teacher training, child care, family leave, and more. –Associated Press
“When I was 18 years old, community college saved my life.” A newspaper editor makes a very personal case for free community college. –Washington Post
“My husband walked onto campus and thought he’d never seen such a beautiful place. When he entered, he was a high school dropout, with a bad discharge from the Army, unhappily married with three boys, looking at a bleak future.” The Post says it received hundreds of letters after that editorial above. –Washington Post
