Jill Biden Visits Pre-K Program at Alabama Air Force Base
Jill Biden Visits Pre-K Program at Alabama Air Force Base
Plus, Melania Trump says her ‘privacy was invaded’ in FBI search at Mar-a-Lago in third memoir teaser.
Technical Sgt. Shakira Mathis held her son, as she spoke to First Lady Dr. Jill Biden about how the Maxwell Elementary Middle School's preschool program has helped them.
“I’m so thankful for the staff here. They have been like a family to me," Mathis said. She later added, “I’m just so grateful to be here as a parent and military mom."
Biden and Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III visited Maxwell Elementary Middle School in Montgomery, Alabama, on Friday as part of her Joining Forces initiative and to highlight the Department of Defense's new universal preschool program for military families. The new program is a key accomplishment of the Biden-Harris Administration and is helping pave the way for the future of universal pre-kindergarten in public schools across the country, according to the White House.
The first lady spoke to Montgomery leaders and Maxwell parents at the school about the Bidens' work establishing the program. She also discussed President Joe Biden's effort to establish universal preschool for all Americans.
“Implementing anything new takes hard work and that's why we have come together to get this right,” she said.
Maxwell Elementary Middle School is a Department of Defense Education Activity school that serves military students from pre-kindergarten to 8th grade. Since its inception in 1963, the school has provided educational services for military dependents living in permanent housing on Maxwell AFB.
The Department of Defense implemented universal full-day, pre-kindergarten at 80 of its 90 elementary schools beginning this 2024-25 school year, expanding equity and access, and providing intervening services for all 4-year-old children. The remaining 10 schools will join the program in later phases.
Austin also spoke at the event and emphasized how important it is to support the troops.
“So this is personal for me, and I know firsthand how much we ask of our troops and all our families,” said Austin, who had a 41-year career in the Army.
Along with universal preschool, Austin has worked to raise troop pay by 10%, cut prices at commissaries and increase military families' basic allowance for housing.
While Biden and Austin were in the school, they toured classrooms, met teachers and even learned a song about a frog.
Joining Forces is the first lady’s initiative to support those who also serve: military and veteran families, caregivers, and survivors. The first lady’s work and priorities of Joining Forces are guided by the life experiences and the perspectives shared during listening sessions with military-connected families, according to the White House. In the last four years, she has visited over 25 military installations and worked with Joining Forces partners to support over 125 events with the military-connected community.
Earlier, the first lady and Secretary Austin visited students at STARBASE Maxwell, the Department of Defense’s (DoD) STEM program that creates a bridge between DoD and civilian communities while providing local students access to DoD’s wealth of expertise in science, technology, engineering and math career fields. This stop was closed press.
Weekly Wrap
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