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Bloomberg To Lay Off Thousands Of Teachers


Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg intends to eliminate 4,278 teaching jobs through layoffs, and about 1,500 through attrition, marking the first significant layoffs of teachers since the fiscal crisis of the 1970s, city officials briefed on the mayor’s plan said on Friday.

The slashing of jobs are part of the Mr. Bloomberg’s effort to slice an additional $400 million from various city agencies to help plug a multibillion-dollar deficit in his $65.6 billion spending plan for the fiscal year that begins July 1. That budget is about the same size as the current one.

Scott M. Stringer, the Manhattan Borough president, criticized the mayor’s lack of transparency in releasing his budget. “This document is political,” he said. “This is not the way we should be running the city.”

The deep cuts to the city’s schools that Mr. Bloomberg will unveil on Friday are similar to what he proposed in February, though the number of layoffs are slightly less.

In his budget presentation on Friday, the mayor is expected to attribute some of the city’s budget difficulties to Albany and Washington. In particular, he is expected to discuss how the money the city contributes to the budget has steadily increased over the past several years as federal and state sources have dried up.

“While the city’s economy and fiscal situation continue to improve, Albany and Washington continue to face serious challenges, and their cuts are real,” said Howard Wolfson, a deputy mayor.

Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Mr. Bloomberg have clashed over the city’s financial situation with Mr. Cuomo saying that the city has enough money to avoid massive layoffs.

READ MORE: NY TIMES



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