Budget Deal Calms Threat Of Teacher Layoffs
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Mayor Bloomberg says Monday's budget agreement in Albany has put the city's education system in a better than expected position, and has reduced the threat of teacher layoffs for the time being. NY1's Michael Scotto filed the following report.It appears the worst possible classroom cuts won't be happening. Mayor Michael Bloomberg says the state's budget gives the city enough aid to avoid laying off thousands of teachers.
"At the moment, those jobs would be safe," said Bloomberg.
The state budget agreement reached by Governor David Paterson and legislative leaders Monday calls for nearly $22 billion to be spent on education statewide.
The mayor's office says that number restores the $771 million cut they feared would hurt the city.
Earlier in the year, Bloomberg had warned as many as 14,000 teachers might get laid off. He backed away from that number after Congress passed President Barack Obama's stimulus package, which increased education aid to the city.
But just last week, the issue of layoffs surfaced again, when Schools Chancellor Joel Klein warned that 2,000 teaching positions might be eliminated.
"Our schools will have hard choices choices we wish they didn't have to make. We'll have to do more with less," said Klein.
The Bloomberg Administration says there still may be a need to layoff teaching assistants.
Education advocates are also upset that the state plans to delay a court-ordered payment of nearly $300 million to New York City as part of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity agreement.
Bloomberg aides are still analyzing the state budget, as well as the economy to determine just how much money they'll have to spend on education.