The following is an excerpt on education from President Biden’s State of the Union Address 2024.
“To remain the strongest economy in the world we need the best education system in the world.
I want to give every child a good start by providing access to pre-school for 3- and 4-year-olds.
Studies show that children who go to pre-school are nearly 50% more likely to finish high school and go on to earn a 2- or 4-year degree no matter their background.
I want to expand high-quality tutoring and summer learning time and see to it that every child learns to read by third grade.
I’m also connecting businesses and high schools so students get hands-on experience and a path to a good-paying job whether or not they go to college.
And I want to make college more affordable.
Let’s continue increasing Pell Grants for working- and middle-class families and increase our record investments in HBCUs and Hispanic and Minority-serving Institutions
I fixed student loan programs to reduce the burden of student debt for nearly 4 Million Americans including nurses firefighters and others in public service like Keenan Jones a public-school educator in Minnesota who’s here with us tonight.
He’s educated hundreds of students so they can go to college now he can help his own daughter pay for college.
Such relief is good for the economy because folks are now able to buy a home start a business even start a family.
While we’re at it I want to give public school teachers a raise!”