Obama calls for funds to stop teacher layoffs as student-to-teacher ratios rise [View all]

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Hundreds of thousands of teaching jobs have been lost in the US since 2009, according to a new White House report. Photograph: Rex Features

President Barack Obama has called on Congress to release billions of dollars in funds to counter the damaging impact of teacher layoffs on America's education system.

A report released Saturday by the White House found that more than 300,000 teaching positions had been lost since the end of the recession in 2009, resulting in a 4.6% bump in student-to-teacher ratios.

In his weekly address, Obama struck out at obstructionists in Congress for blocking provisions that would support states in preventing further job cuts and help them rehire out-of-work teachers.

He also took a swipe at Republicans for putting forward a budget that he claimed would further impact teacher numbers.

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/aug/18/us-elections-2012-education?newsfeed=true