ALBANY (AP) -- U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is pushing for a bill before the Senate this week that he say will fund the rehiring of 7,500 New York teachers hit by layoffs.
The democrat says the $1.7 billion bill would also preserve more than 16,000 more jobs in New York.
Schumer says the Teachers and First Responders Back to Work Act proposed by President Obama could save another 11,000 teacher jobs in New York.
Schumer is citing a New York state survey by school superintendents that found most schools have larger class sizes this year because of cuts in the ranks of teachers.
Such spending bills like this one for the powerful teachers unions closely allied with Democrats faces a battle from Republicans who argue that public spending must be curbed.
(Copyright ©2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
