Education Secretary Outlines Grim Teacher Layoff Picture

By Deborah Becker
May 19, 2010, 5:25 PM
3 Comments

BOSTON — U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan visited Boston on Wednesday and had some grim estimates about potential teacher job losses in the next school year.

During his commencement address at Lesley University, Duncan said budget cuts could result in as many as 300,000 teacher layoffs across the country next year.

Later, as he visited a school in Revere, the secretary said Massachusetts too stands to lose teachers.

“I don’t have a firm number but ballpark 4,000 to 5,000 (teachers) here in Massachusetts,” Duncan said. “It’s teacher jobs, its increasing class size, its summer school. We have to educate our way to a better economy. This is an investment.”

Duncan said he’s hopeful that Congress will pass a $23 billion bill that will help save education jobs.

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Richard

Let’s give less of our money as aid to other countries and take care of our young people by pouring that money into their education. It’s time for the United States to take care of the United States!!!!!
Steven M Rauscher

We seem unable to pursue benefits reform for public employees. In the private sector, employees pay 20-30% of the cost of their health insurance. In the public sector, the employees pay much less. In the town of Lexington, for example, they pay 13%. In the private sector, employees save for their own retirements via their 401-k contributions and social security taxes. Most people expect to retire in the mid-60′s or later. In the public sector, employees receive pensions and retire in their mid-50′s. Instead of cutting AP classes, eliminating Foreign Language education and laying off teachers, why can’t we reform the benefits and reduce the growing disparity between the public and private sector?
Rivmurphlee73

if schools just layoff coaches and not teachers they would have no money problems. I thought schoosl were to teach reading, writing and math, history, geography, science. When did teaching football, basketball, golf, swimming, etc. become more important than and MORE expensive and the most important thing in schools. Many schools spend more money on sports than education. Coaches make more money than English teachers!!!! Is it legal for school districts to spend our tax dollars to teach sports??? When does the the average studend have as much tax dollars spent on his education as the “GIFTED athlete ” get spent on him? Spend more money on education than SPORTS, then schools will be doing their job.