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Education Secretary Outlines Grim Teacher Layoff Picture

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.

This program aired on May 19, 2010. The audio for this program is not available.

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Deborah Becker Host/Reporter
Deborah Becker is a senior correspondent and host at WBUR. Her reporting focuses on mental health, criminal justice and education.

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