Merkley: $117 Million to Prevent Teacher Layoffs on the Way to Oregon

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Department of Education announced this week that $117 million to help prevent mass teacher layoffs will be arriving in Oregon within a matter of days.  The emergency funding will save the jobs of approximately 1,600 Oregon teachers and help improve education for children throughout the state.  Oregon’s Senator Jeff Merkley, who was a leading proponent for the funding in the Senate, released the following statement: 

“Our children’s education is under assault.  A weakened economy and shrinking state budget have resulting in dramatic cuts to school budgets around the state.  Thankfully, common sense triumphed over political posturing last month and we were able to preserve the quality of education in Oregon.   This emergency funding will ensure that our kids don’t face overcrowded classrooms and prevent our unemployment crisis from getting worse.”