Duncan: N.C. could receive $300 million to keep teacher jobs

U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan says North Carolina could save 4,500 teacher jobs if Congress approves $10 billion for an education jobs fund.

Duncan told Dome today that the Senate is set to vote Monday on an amendment that would provide $10 billion to keep teachers in the classroom across the United States. North Carolina's share would be almost $300 million, he said, which could support an estimated 4,500 jobs.

The spending is offset by other cuts and would not add to the deficit, Duncan said.

The money aims to save teacher jobs as the stimulus spending begins to run out.

"I am desperately concerned about literally hundreds of thousands of teachers being laid off as we head into the fall," he told Dome.

That could lead to bigger class sizes and cuts in summer school and after school programs, Duncan said.

"That's not good for children, not good for education and not good for the country in the long term," he said.