Press Release of U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer

Boxer Lauds Funding to Save Teacher Jobs  

Los Angeles, CA – U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA) today praised the Department of Education’s announcement that California will receive $1.2 billion to help save thousands of teacher jobs.

Senator Boxer said, “It’s important for our children that we keep teachers in our classrooms and this investment will help save thousands of teacher jobs across California.”

California is the first state to receive this federal funding, which will help save up to 16,500 teacher jobs.

With the school year already underway or about to start in many communities, California State Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg and Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez are leading an effort to pass legislation to ensure that this funding gets to classrooms quickly. This bill is expected to be taken up and passed early next week.

The federal teacher jobs provision was based on legislation that Senator Boxer sponsored with Senator Tom Harkin, D-IA. Their bill – the Keep Our Educators Working Act – was aimed at keeping teachers in the classroom to protect the education of our children.