First lady Jill Biden is in Utah again. Here’s why.

Supporting the nation’s educators, first lady Jill Biden said in Utah Tuesday, “does not have to be a red issue or a blue issue. It’s an American one.”

And U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, speaking with Biden at Hunter High School in West Valley City, told teachers, staff and administrators: “Your well-being is just as important as the well-being of our children. ... Your well-being must be a national priority.”

Their remarks were part of Biden’s quick fundraising trip to Utah, which included two events scheduled in Park City after her appearance at the high school, to be followed by an evening flight to San Francisco.

Biden praised Utah for having “taken a big step forward in paying teachers what they deserve.”

Last year, the Utah Legislature gave licensed educators a $4,200 pay raise by passing HB215 — which was tied to a controversial voucher bill that gave students an $8,000 voucher to attend private schools. Vouchers are expected to be a topic of debate again in the session that began Tuesday.

Biden and Murthy didn’t propose any specific initiatives to help the nation’s teachers.

Biden, a longtime educator who continues to teach English and writing as a professor at Northern Virginia Community College, said she recognized the weight that teachers carry — especially as students continue to deal with issues outside school and the lingering effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

And Murthy thanked everyone in attendance “for looking out for the most important people in our society,” our children. “The work of educators has always been essential,” he said. But the challenges of teaching “can take a toll on educators, too.”

‘A better thinker because of you’

Earlier in the afternoon, Biden had landed in chilly but sunny Salt Lake City, where a motorcade swiftly moved her to Hunter High.

Outside school grounds, a small group of people held signs that called for ending U.S. aid to Israel, in front of a line of police and Utah Highway Patrol troopers. A notice had circulated on Instagram calling for demonstrators to stage a “Shut it down! for Palestine” gathering.

Upon arrival, Biden shook hands with student body officers before meeting privately with administrators and others. She then entered the school commons to a standing ovation as the Beatles’ “Here Comes the Sun” played over speakers.

“Visiting schools and talking to students and the teachers ... all those who make our schools run are some of my favorite visits,” Biden told the crowd of educators and staff, most from Hunter High.

Biden shared her own love of helping students learn to read, and how she realized 40 years ago how much it meant to her to do so. “It really broke my heart that there were so many people who did not know that joy,” she said, “that could not read.”

But right now, Biden told the educators in attendance, “someone out there is a better thinker because of you. Someone is working a little harder because you pushed him to try.”

After she concluded her remarks, the Hunter High Madrigals performed “Sing Alleluia, Clap Your Hands” before taking a group photo with her. They were among the small number of invited students; the Granite School District decided to dismiss school ahead of Biden’s planned arrival time.

This was Biden’s second trip to a Utah school in three years; in May 2021, she visited with students at Glendale Middle School and thanked teachers for their work during the pandemic.

’We need to come together’

Utah first lady Abby Cox, who greeted Biden at the airport, spoke before her at the high school and stressed the importance of creating care communities for parents and families across the state.

“We need to come together again as communities, we need to serve each other. ... The way we do that is to volunteer and serve and go out together and show our students how powerful service is,” she said.

She saluted Hunter High for becoming a Unified Champion School, which means it has created an inclusive climate that meets national standards developed by the Special Olympics and educators.

Support for educators also is one of the pillars of Cox’s “Show Up” service initiative, with the next conference — offering resources for personal and professional wellness — set in July. Utah is known to have a high percentage of teachers who leave the profession within their first five years, the program notes.

‘The kids need us’

District Superintendent Rich Nye said that they were “honored” that Biden chose Hunter High School to visit, noting that her office “identified Hunter High as being a great location with some great educators.”

To him, teacher wellness means taking care of the district’s educators in order to meet the needs of students, he said. He noted examples like providing compensation to meet teachers’ needs, and hiring school psychologists and licensed social workers.

The district’s goal, he said, is “to be able to have other resources and supports at the ready to help [teachers] focus on teaching, while others focus on perhaps some of the other needs of the students.”

Biden’s visit also resonated with many of the teachers, including special education paraeducator Meredith Foster, who said she appreciated that Biden herself was an educator.

Foster — who has been with the district for eight years and is a Hunter High graduate herself — shared Biden’s sentiment that educators have a big influence on their students, and that’s partly why she decided to teach.

“The kids need us,” she said, adding that some students might not have people at home that can recognize some emotional needs.

That’s also why she advocates for giving teachers time to decompress from the stresses of the job. Working in special education, she added, has led to those before her to leave due to burnout.

She believes educators should “just support one another,” checking in on each other every so often.

“It just takes someone to notice that you need something,” she said. “I know sometimes we don’t have the time to do so, but it’s just nice to have somebody [just ask], ‘Can I do anything for you?’”