NEA President Van Roekel: $23 Billion In Federal Funds Urgently Needed To Avert 300,000 Job losses

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Thu May-27-10 05:51 AM
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NEA President Van Roekel: $23 Billion In Federal Funds Urgently Needed To Avert 300,000 Job losses

http://www.laborradio.org/node/13585

Submitted by Doug Cunningham on May 26, 2010 - 4:03pm
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By Doug Cunningham

With teachers nationwide facing an unprecedented crisis in impending layoffs from massive education budget cuts, Congress is considering a $23 billion education funding aid bill. National Education Association President Dennis Van Roekel was on Capitol Hill Tuesday urging swift passage of the funding.

: �It will be focused on states in their budget crisis and we hope it will save somewhere around 250 � 300,000 educators� jobs. It is an emergency situation. As the economy begins to recover, the revenues for state and local governments lags at least a year to two years behind so they�re not feeling any of that upswing yet. And so they�re facing just dire cuts across the board.�

Van Roekel says while funding is urgently needed, a truly collaborative education policy is also needed to improve public education quality. That�s in the interests of our students and our country�s future. And Van Roekel says scapegoating teacher�s unions and their collective bargaining rights must also end.

: �Blaming and scapegoating doesn�t do anything. But what does work is collaboration � between management of the school district, the school board and the employees who work there. Teachers and their unions and their contracts are an aid to creating good school reform. Collective bargaining should be the means of making it better. Definitely it�s not a hindrance.�

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