Teachers across the country have been holding their breath while waiting to see whether the House of Representatives would pass a bill that would save many of their jobs. And the wait is finally over, as the a vote on the $10 billion education bill passed the legislation through Congress. Ohio will receive $361 million of the $10 billion Education Jobs Fund that was passed on August 10 by the House of Representatives, according to The News-Herald. The Department of Education pushed the emergency spending bill because of the downward spiraling economy that caused school districts to tighten their purse strings and lay off teachers. However, the new bill is estimated to save 161,000 education jobs around the nation and 5,500 in Ohio alone. “Today’s vote by the House of Representatives provides a lifeline to communities struggling with teacher layoffs,” Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, said in a statement. The news source reports that the funds can be used by school districts to rehire teachers and support current employees, but cannot be used for non-salary expenses or district level administration.  |