First lady Jill Biden to headline teachers union convention

First lady Jill Biden will headline the American Federation of Teachers Convention on Friday, according to a news report Monday.

The Boston gathering will be the organization's first in-person event since 2018, according to The Hill newspaper.

The first lady, who teaches at Northern Virginia Community College, will be one several high-profile political figures to address the convention. Others who will speak include Sens. Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey, Massachusetts Democrats; House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a California Democrat, Labor Secretary Marty Walsh and federation President Randi Weingarten. 

Weingarten, who faced throughout the pandemic as an advocate for keeping classrooms virtual, told the outlet about Biden's address that she is "honored and grateful to welcome one of our own – a teacher – to AFT Convention."

"She knows what it’s like to grade papers over dinner; to call a student at home to check on them, or their family; to see someone’s eyes light up when they recognize a concept in a book or articulate an idea to the rest of their classmates," Weingarten said of the first lady.

Teachers unions are typically major networks of support for Democrats, including the Biden White House, which has continually demonstrated a commitment to affiliating itself closely with various unions. Last week, the Vice President Kamala Harris addressed the National Education Association at the group's annual meeting. 

The convention, which begins Thursday, is expected to be attended by more than 3,000 delegates. Its commencement arrives shortly following the release of an AFT survey showing a 34-point rise in job dissatisfaction among Pre-K through 12th-grade teachers since the onset of the global pandemic.