All righty, folks, next to join us is Vice President joe biden. [applause] mr. Beranek he was elected the 47th u. S. Vice president , serving two full terms. [cheers and applause] mr. Beranek come on up, joe. Serving two full terms with president barack obama. [cheers and applause] in 2008. Ek in 2017, at the close of the administration, obama presented Vice President biden with the president ial medal of freedom. When he was first elected to the u. S. Senate in 1972, Vice President biden became the fifth youngest u. S. Senator in history, as well as delawares longest serving senator, serving from 1973 until 2009. It is with great honor that the Public Education teachers and support personnel that iowa welcomes you to our forum and thank you for being here. [cheers and applause] thank you, thank you, thank you. This is more like the iowa whether i am used to. [laughter] mr. Biden i am jill bidens husband, joe. Her flight is canceled in pennsylvania. She is not here. I know that many of you, particularly tammy, is upset. She is not here. Please, bear with me. I will try my best without her. Folks, it is a great honor to be with you today. You know, the fact is we have a lot of folks you have already heard from and you will hear a lot more. If jill were here, i would have the privilege of being around my wife. I have been around educators my whole life. Was anased wife educator. I taught myself for a number of years when i taught law school when i was a you state senator. I drove a school bus to get myself through law school and even substitute taught for a while. These glimpses helps me know that you have to grapple with what you have to grapple with. A child brings every problem they have to school. Everything, their hopes, their dreams. It is not just their talents and their aspirations. But their fears and their anxieties. You have to deal with them all. You play an incredibly vital role. It requires a considerable amount of empathy and understanding on your part. I might add, an awful lot of patience and i would argue love. Sometimes, the most critical part of your job is the most subtle part of the job. It matters. It matters that the janitor can observe what is going on in the hallway and make sure that things stay safe and kids are not being bullied. It matters, the cafeteria worker who notices a student is not looking well or hungry or not eat at all. It matters that the bus driver i remember i used to drive a bus in new york, i remember one kid i dropped off at a rural road and the parent was never around. We had to figure out what was going on because the kid was only in eighth grade. And, you know, who was home . What was going on . You know the passion it takes to do all of these jobs. I dont think the public fully understands it. And even after the long hours and frustration you may feel in the classroom, you feel worse when you know you are not supported or accorded the simple respect you deserve for what you do. You know what matters and how much you are investing in the potential of a child. You know, i have have observed the teachers i know and a lot of our friends are personal friends we have hung around with all our life are teachers. You feel their anguish and you feel their struggle. And you share their pride when they succeed. But the level of commitment that you all show is rare in any profession. I mean, it really is rare in any profession. Shame,n embarrassment, a when it goes unrecognized and and not understood. We have seen the courage of all of you and educators across the ee,ntry from chicago to her to kentucky and other places othere, to kentucky and places where you had to fight for students by organizing strikes. I dont know anyone who wants to go on strike. I have found that for most of you, your job is your passion. You did not become teachers for the money. [laughter] mr. Biden you all know that. Think about it. I think you underestimate yourselves a lot of times. I really do. I know it is part of who you are , but i think underestimate yourself, how different you are in terms of the commitment to what you do. The closest to you all are nurses, quite frankly. When you go out, you would much rather be in the classroom with your students. But you know these walkouts are vital, not just to make sure you get paid fairly or you get health care or school safety, although they are essential. Many times, you are walking out to make sure your students have greater resources, that they have the right books, classrooms, and things that will allow them to succeed in ways that most people and all of the things, all of these things that become possible for our country when our children are given an even chance, and as jill says, all the time, any country that out educates us is going to outcompete us. Any country that out educates us us is going to outcompete us. The children you work with, and this is not hyperbole, are the most valuable resource the nation has. I know we say that, we say it all the time. [applause] mr. Biden but really and truly, i mean, we say it, but i wonder how many people think about it, feel it. About whether we will succeed as a nation. I always find it difficult, especially some of our wealthier friends who live in wealthy districts, why they dont understand that it is overwhelmingly in their interest, their interest, that kids in title i schools do well. Overwhelmingly in their interest. I really mean it. Think about it. [applause] mr. Biden it is sort of counterintuitive almost. Education is the key to everything. Again, that is not hyperbole. It is the key to everything that is going to happen in this country, right here in the united states. America depends on you. It depends on you in ways that no one is prepared to recognize. You know, that is why i believe it is critical that anyone is running for president is clear with you about what they plan on doing, what their plan is for making sure that education and educators are rewarded. Im going to lay out for you very briefly, in eight minutes and nine seconds. [laughter] a clear plan, my clear plan for education. And, on protecting unions. [applause] unions. [applause] you know, there is a commitment jill and i are making to every educator, every professional and every School Across the country. First and foremost, if i am elected, i promise you will never have a better partner in the white house than jill and joe biden. And that is the gods truth. I give you my word to that. We will fight hammer and tong that you are treated with the dignity that you deserve. Think about it. It is so critical. Why do we understand it in every other endeavor in life and not understand why it matters so much, so much to educators . We will start by tripling funding for title i schools. [applause] education and equity, and by the way, thats not a hard lift. That is from 15 billion to 45 billion a year. Education iniquity is compounding the problem. It holds back our children, educators, and our communities from fulfilling the unlimited potential these kids have. We need to deal with the 23 billion gap between schools between majority white schools and nonwhite districts. [applause] mr. Biden and we are never going to have true equity in america until the quality of education does not depend on your zip code. This goes against every single instinct of what constitutes being an american. There are governors who have cut education budgets and make it much harder the next generation to realize their potential. I remember the iowa test, i remember when you are number one in the country. I remember that. What has happened . Look, that is not how we will grow our country. These are not somebody elses children. They are our children. They are the kite strings that lift our National Ambitions lost. Arehe literal sense, these all of our children. The country depends on it. We need to invest in them. We need to invest more on the state and federal level. School districts have to use the money that i am talking about to raise teacher salaries. Because you start off making 23 less than any other College Graduate does when you start, american educators deserve a and american educators deserve a generous raise, and i will make sure you get one. Secondly, we will get resources you need in school. You know, right now, we are 110,000 teachers short in america. By 2025, we will be 220,000 teachers short in america. That is nothing but trouble. And solving it will require not just raises and respect but also resources too. We will double resources for school psychologist, school counselors, School Nurses and social workers. And it is long past time for us to fully fund the idea. Long past time. I mean it. I guarantee that i am going to do that. I guarantee i am going to do that. We will invest in schools where social workers can help students and parents needs are met. And Mental Health, i am sorry to go so rapidly. I dont want the floor to fall out from under me. [laughter] mr. Biden anyway. Mental health is especially critical. And it is too often overlooked. When trained professionals are helping care for students, Mental Health, it frees up educators to deal with the things youre supposed to do, teaching, teaching, teaching. [applause] mr. Biden we will upgrade School Infrastructure to make sure that the Drinking Water is safe, science labs are uptodate, cutting edge learning and there is high Speed Internet in every Single School in america. [applause] mr. Biden thirdly, we will start investing in our children from birth all the way through high school. Not just some children but every single child, and that matters. The way to get there is universal prek for everybody. Everybody. It is also going to ensure that every student has an opportunity to graduate from high school or graduate from school with some College Credits in their pocket or industrial credits that will lead to good paying jobs. And fourthly, we are going to stand strong for your ironclad right to organize and bargain. [cheers and applause] iowaiden republicans in have undermined the collective bargaining system that worked so well for for over 40 years. If it aint broke, dont fix it. What do they think they are fixing . You shouldnt have to be in that position. You should have leaders at every level who fight for you. I promise you, look at my record, i promise you i will. And fifth most important, we will have someone in the white house you can trust, someone you can depend on to fight for educators and fight for unions. Because that is what i have been doing my entire life. If i did not do it, i would be sleeping in the lincoln bedroom. You all think i am kidding, im not. And because four years of betsy devos is enough. Its enough, its enough, its enough. I guarantee you the next secretary of education will have been a Public School teacher who will have taught in school. And we are going to invest in leadership skills and Education Learning and pay teachers who help educate teachers. And were going to help educators wipe out the burden of student debt. You are doing a public good. You should have it written off. I dont have time to explain it , but we do. And we are going to get serious about the tragedy of gun violence. I have been the nra twice. Im the only one who beat him nationally twice. Talk about moral depravity, our kids go to school, you send them off to school and they teach them how to duck and cover. My god. Think about it. What is the matter with us . Folks, look, none of this matters unless we beat donald trump. And im going to beat donald trump if i am your nominee. I am going to do one more thing. I am going to bring along senators and house members and people up and down the line. We need to have it all the way across our state legislature. We can do this. Folks, when that happens, we will provide you the support you need and the respect you deserve. In together, we will ensure that every child, regardless of family income, ethnicity or disability, is prepared for tomorrows economy. I am absolutely confident we can get there. When america sets it to mind, it has never, never, never failed to get it done. So thank you for everything you do. I want to thank you for everything you give. I want to thank you for all you do for our students. From the bottom of my heart, i mean it. Think about it again. Dont let anybody tell you anything other than you are the single most consequential cog in the wheel to see to it that we own the 21st century. God love you all and may god protect our troops. I have 33 seconds left. Thank you very much. I love you, thanks [cheers and applause] mr. Beranek Vice President biden coming you through your dedication over the years have certainly demonstrated to all of us in our country your understanding of the importance of democracy. And we hear in iowa are working this year to celebrate the 19th amendment and what that meant to half of our population in the country. And you know, we love ourselves some dr. Jill. So we would like to present this to you and dr. Jill. Lets keep up the good fight. Mr. Biden now shes going to think you set her up here. I shouldnt say this, but i will. When i am in trouble or really, really want to tell her how much i love her for real, it is a yellow rose that i give her. Yellow rose. Gods truth. Im not going to tell her you guys gave me this. [laughter] [applause] mr. Beranek thank you. [applause] mr. Beranek so i have to tell you something funny. There is a cord that came out back here and im like, oh my god, im going to kill the president. I wasnt prepared for that today. [laughter] righty,anek al folks, we have our last speaker, so lets stand up and give mayor Pete Buttigieg a great iowa welcome. [cheers and applause] mayor pete served as the 32nd mayor of south bend, indiana from 2012 through this month. When he was elected, he became the second youngest mayor in south bend history and the youngest mayor of a u. S. City with at least 100,000 residents. He was only 29 years old. The Washington Post called him the most interesting mayor you have ever heard of, based on his youth, education and military background. Before running for office, mayor pete worked on the political campaigns of jill thompson, joe donnelly and john kerry. He joined the navy reserve in 2009 and served in afghanistan. Thank you for your service. He was honorably discharged in 2017. Please join me in welcoming mayor Pete Buttigieg. [cheers and applause] mr. Beranek thanks for coming. Mayor buttigieg good morning. L good morning. Mayor buttigieg i am so thrilled to be here. And so thankful. I am Pete Buttigieg, i come from about six hours east. Which way is east . I am a retired mayor and i am a friend of Public Education and educators. [cheers and applause] mayor buttigieg throughout the last year, when we first turned up in iowa, introducing ourselves on the strength of an Exploratory Committee with four people working out of an office the size of this stage, with not much of a mailing list or money, all the way to this point, one of the most consistent and important things about our encounter with iowans has been meeting educators who are so committed to your students and to your craft. And, whether it has been the folks who stood up to ask questions in town halls, people we have met with isea, or even finding myself next to chris byrd on the bus, on the way to the iowa state fair. [applause] mayor buttigieg talking about the problems with things like public funding for Charter Schools. I have found that education is on everybodys mind in iowa, and rightly so. Because it is one of the most important issues in the 2020 election. In the people around the country know it. Now we have to get elected officials to respond. Just before i share in detail how i envision the future of k12 Public Education, let me back up and say a little bit about what has me running in the first place. And i want to invite you to form an image in your mind, in as much detail as possible, because if you understand that image, you will understand my campaign. And that is what it is going to be like the first time the sun comes up over iowa and donald trump is no longer the president of the united states. [cheers and applause] mr. Biden and mayor buttigieg and im running partly because it is so important to bring that day about. This is our only chance to do this. And we had better get it right. And, every time my party has claimed the presidency successfully in the last 50 years, certain things have been true about the nominee. It has been somebody i know there are a lot of history teachers in the room. It has been somebody who was new to national politics. It has been somebody who was focused on values. It has been somebody who was not viewed as a creature of washington, either did not work there or had not been there very long. And it has been somebody who was ushering in a new generation of leadership. [applause] Andr Buttigieg so, that, americans have a way of looking for the opposite of whatever we have just had in the white house. I would like to offer i have something in this regard as a matter of style. [laughter] mayor buttigieg but i actually just dont raise the prospects of that day to say what we have to do to bring about. Byis because this election definition is about who is going to be president on that day, who will lead our country forward in the era that begins the moment the trump right, its going to require a president capable of unifying the american people. Who will be even more divided than we are now. Just think about it for a minute. Doing it in a way that actually rises to meet the Biggest Challenges that our country faces. To be able to take bold steps and do it in a way that will galvanize and not polarize an american Majority Ready to get that done. Alle that at its stake in the values that we hold dear is americans, from our love of country, but not the kind of love of country that is cartoonishly imitated in the chest thumping of a president who thinks hes promilitary. [applause] the love ofieg country that begins with the knowledge that our country is made of people. You cant love a country if you hate half of the people in it. [cheers and applause] aof mayor buttigieg country with deep moral positions that recognizes that when food is being cut from hungry children, or children being torn from their parents at the border, that flies in the face of the idea of, i was hungry and you fed me. I was a stranger and you welcomed me. [cheers and applause] mayor buttigieg we can lift up those values while honoring the fundamental principle that is our constitution. It belongs to people of every religion and no religion equally. God does not belong to a political party. [cheers and applause] i think about a country whose values include valuing work and yet we tax work at a higher rate than we tax some of the most profitable multinational corporations in the world. If you value work, value workers. That is why organized labor is so important, including organized education. [cheers and applause] mayor buttigieg im thinking about democracy. I know it is hard to look kids in the eye, teaching them about our country is a democracy right now. We have racial voter suppression, districts drawn where politicians get to pick their voters, and money in politics based on a supreme that decision that holds corporations have the same political souls as you and i do. The good news is, as every teacher knows, we have a process for clearing that up called constitutional amendments. If thats what it takes to deal with citizens united, we should not be awake afraid to use it. [cheers and applause] mayor buttigieg i think a lot about the American Value of freedom. I think that can unite us. We have to clear up that freedom isnt about cutting every rule and regulation and taxation program. That doesnt make us free. To become free is to Pay Attention to the means to develop the institutions that can help make us free. Sometimes we have to keep government out of the way to be free. Im a big believer in keeping government out of the business of telling women what the Reproductive Health care choices are. Mayor buttigieg [cheers and applause] mayor buttigieg every mayor knows that sometimes we step up in the Public Sector to deliver on freedom. You are not free if you dont have health care. We have to make sure there is no such thing as an uninsured american. [cheers and applause] part of howieg mayors earn their paychecks is in the knowledge that you are not free if theres not a well paved road to get you from point a to point b. We step up in the Public Sector to deliver on freedom. Thats where you come in. Freedom comes by way of education. The freedom to live a life of your choosing comes by way of being equipped by the tools that you make sure the next generation will have. That is why we as a country, we as a species invented education. Thats why every student has a fundamental right to excellent, quality, equitable Public Education. [cheers and applause] mayor buttigieg how do we deliver on that in the era after donald trump . Also you step one. But one of the easier steps to take. Appointed secretary of education who believes in Public Education and supports our educators. [cheers and applause] mayor buttigieg step one. It goes well beyond that. The promise we make in america is that every child will have access to that excellent education. We know thats not the reality. Most places, more students are in need, there is more funding going there. We are one of the few countries were so often the reverse is true. Access to education is so often predicted by income or zip code. Student performance is determined by their health and nutrition. Yet, teachers are expected to bear the responsibility for that, too. This is a personal issue for me. My life was shaped by education. I am the son of educators. I married a classroom teacher who gives me an education about education every day. [laughter] [cheers and applause] so i have seen how devoted teachers are to their students. Ive seen the late night grading papers. Ive seen the phone call to parents. Ive seen the ways that teachers and educators have dipped into their on Bank Accounts in order to furnish and equip their classrooms. Now are being expected to be counselors, Mental Health professionals, test administrators, and, according to some, are supposed to snap into action and become highly trained armed guards. As if you dont have enough on your plate practicing the craft of being professional educators. Im offering a wholly different approach that will actually allow teachers to be teachers. That will honor teachers a little bit more like we do our soldiers and pay our teachers a little bit more like we do our doctors, recognizing that that will make this whole country better off. [cheers and applause] that starts at the beginning. We have to invest over 1 trillion in Early Education and Wraparound Services that support students to succeed. [cheers and applause] mayor buttigieg a look at the early part. 9,500 for an infant. Singleparent would face 40 of their income going to childcare costs. It doesnt make any sense. Childcare deserts without enough licensed facilities. We have to create over one million new childcare jobs, ensure those workers make at least 15 an hour, and invested providers to expand quality and access. I have tripled funding for title i schools. When they get into cave12, we have the resources that are needed. Im proposing we create an Education Access core. Bring together the top programs for Teacher Education around the country, creating a certificate that can be used for teaching any title school title i school in the country. And completely forgiving any College Costs of teachers who commit to do that for seven years or more. We have to lift up this profession. [cheers and applause] whyr buttigieg and it is we have to have a conversation about innovation and education. We all believe in innovation. We all believe in getting ready for the next steps. Done witho be educators, not to educators. Thats one of many reasons why forprofit Charter Schools have no place in the future of american education. [cheers and applause] mayor buttigieg its why public Charter Schools need to have the same accountability and a level Playing Field as traditional Public Schools so that we can make sure that whatever is developed their works to the benefit of traditional Public Schools. Your success should not depend on whether you want a lottery. We should make it available to every single student at in every Single School. We have to make sure we are supporting the unions that stand up for educators and staff. As they do so, are standing up for teachers but also for parents and children. [cheers and applause] mayor buttigieg we have to make sure teachers reflect the diversity of our country. We know that students are more likely to succeed when they see more teachers who look like them. We have to invest in that and double the proportion of new teachers and new School Leaders who are people of color. We can do that in the next 10 years. We will be a better country when we do. [cheers and applause] mayor buttigieg we have to expand education and are all areas, investing in transportation to help with Early Learning access and doing more to recruit, support, and retain special education teachers in world areas where their help is needed. We have to break the school to prison pipeline. [cheers and applause] that beginsieg with reinstating the obama era guidance to address disparities in how the students are disciplined. Expand Mental Health services in our schools. [cheers and applause] mayor buttigieg im meeting counselors who were already spread thin, now being reduced to tested ministration. We have issues coming down on teachers who havent been equipped with what they need in order to handle the issues. We need to get Mental Health first aid to every teacher and educator. Also, what good does it do to be able to identify an issue if you dont have anywhere to refer a kid to . We have to build up the whole system. [cheers and applause] and, while ieg passionately believe in building Stem Education for the future, lets recognize something else. The more repeatable tasks are done by a machine, the more it matters to have problemsolving, critical thinking, social and emotional learning. Arts and humanities education is not a luxury. It is a necessity. [cheers and applause] mayor buttigieg i noticed on your name badges the words of fdr, education is a safeguard of democracy. Let our education policy reflect the knowledge that we are not only educating workers, we are educating citizens. We are educating parents. We are educating neighbors. Thats why these things matters. I know you understand that all too well. [cheers and applause] ive beenigieg counseled that this is a tight ship and time limits are to be strictly respected. [laughter] mayor buttigieg in the remaining few seconds, i want to mention one other thing. It might sound strained strange. I want to make the case for help. Hope. I know, it went out of style in our politics. [laughter] mayor buttigieg ive been reflecting on the fact that they took the word hopeful, made it into a noun, and turned it into a synonym for a candidate. We hear parading before you today are described as the 2020 hopefuls. I think that is fitting because running for office is an act of hope. Organizing is an act of hope. Voting. G, volunteering, i know you are propelled by hope for a better future. To do what you do in schools every day and what we all must do to make this country better, beginning on the day that the sun comes up on a post donald trump america. I hope that i can make that possible. I will be supporting you every step of the way. Thank you. [cheers and applause] thank you. [cheers and applause] mayor pete, you said it in your speech. Womens rights amendments and democracy. Those are the things we are celebrating here in iowa this year. We are kicking off our celebration of the 19th amendment. We would like to say thank you for coming to iowa and give you a yellow rose. Mayor buttigieg wonderful. [cheers and applause] well. This could not have gone better. [cheers and applause] this was fantastic. [cheers and applause] that i speak for all of us when i spread express our deep appreciation for everyone this morning. It demonstrates how important our profession is, how important our schools are, and most important lake, how important our students are. These candidates took the time to be her today. We are going to be moving on to our breakout session from 11 00 to noon. After that, you will have a buffet lunch out front. You can bring your food into the room. I will be starting my 12 50, ason around soon as i see most people in your seats. Thank you for being such a great audience. Thank you for showing them so much respect. I will see you after the break. [applause] [captioning performed by the national captioning institute, which is responsible for its caption content and accuracy. Visit ncicap. Org] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2020] oniowa holds its caucuses february 3. The president carried iowa my and nine point margin in 2016. The National Journal reporting that republicans involved in local campaigns in iowa acknowledged that some of trumps supporters are up for grabs, but that the majority of workingclass voters that defected from democrats are now de facto republicans. Our coverage of the president ial candidates and iowa continues sunday at 4 00 p. M. Eastern. Klobuchar,y Elizabeth Warren, and Pete Buttigieg and deval patrick. Andthen, Elizabeth Warren bernie sanders. Watch our Live Campaign 2020 unfiltered coverage of the president ial candidates this atkend on cspan, online cspan. Org, or listen from wherever you are on the free cspan radio app. Go shopping and see what is now available at the cspan online store, including our allnew campaign 2020 tshirts, sweatshirts and hats. Go to cspan store. Org and browse our products. Continues. Host a conversation about party and political identity with brandon straka, founder of the walkaway campaign. What is it . Caller