"Our Community Colleges"

Last Friday, President Obama gave a major speech on his plans to increase training and learning opportunities for the unemployed. In it, he singled out the nation's community colleges as "one of America's under-appreciated assets." He praised community colleges as "increasingly important centers of learning where Americans can prepare for the jobs of the future."

He also made a long-awaited announcement regarding community colleges: "I'm asking Dr. Jill Biden, a community college professor who's devoted her entire life to education -- and who happens to be married to the Vice President -- to lead a national effort to raise awareness about what we're doing to open the doors to our community colleges."

Indeed, Dr. Jill Biden, a current adjunct professor of English at Northern Virginia Community College, has long been associated with community colleges. According to a White House web page, Dr. Biden has taught English full-time at Delaware Technical & Community College for 15 years. Before that, she taught for 13 years in public schools as a reading specialist and English teacher, as well as working part-time with the Rockford Psychiatric Hospital Adolescent Program. In January 2007, Dr. Biden earned her Doctorate in Education from the University of Delaware. Her dissertation focused on maximizing student retention in community colleges. She also has a Master's Degree in English from Villanova University (1987) and a Master's Degree in reading from West Chester University (1981) — both of which she earned while working full-time and raising a family.

She has been promoting the Obama Administration's belief that community colleges are a vital, vital part of America's higher education system. For example, in March she and Education Secretary Arne Duncan visited Miami Dade College to discuss the importance of community colleges in job creation.

Another sign of the Obama plan to focus on community colleges is the nomination last month of Martha Kanter, the chancellor of Foothill-De Anza Community College District, to be the Under Secretary of the Education Department, who is tasked with overseeing "policies, programs, and activities related to post-secondary education, vocational and adult education, and federal student aid." If confirmed, Ms. Kanter would become the first community-college leader to hold the Education Department's No. 2 job.

Friday's speech by President Obama can be read in its entirety here.