Yesterday, President Obama was in Colorado highlighting his plan to put Americans back to work modernizing the nation’s aging schools and to make sure there are plenty of teachers to fill those schools. The plan involves $30 billion to put hundreds of thousands of Americans to work modernizing at least 35,000 schools across the country, and $35 billion to save the jobs of 280,000 teachers, police, firefighters and other first responders. American Progress puts the Republican opposition to the president’s plan in perspective.

THIS OR THAT:

We can put hundreds of thousands of Americans back to work, keep 280,000 more Americans like teachers and cops in their jobs and modernize one-third of our nation’s schools for less than what keeping the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy will cost us each year.

WHAT THE PRESIDENT SAYS:

From President Obama’s speech in Denver earlier this afternoon:

Every child deserves a great school—and we can give it to them. We can rebuild our schools for the 21st century, with faster Internet, smarter labs and cutting-edge technology. And that won’t just create a better, safer learning environment for the students—it’ll create good jobs for local construction workers right here in Denver, across Colorado and throughout the country. There are schools all throughout Colorado that need this kind of renovation. Last week, I visited a bridge in Cincinnati connecting Ohio to Kentucky that needs this kind of renovation. There are construction projects like these all across this country just waiting to get started. And there are millions of unemployed construction workers who are looking for jobs.

So my question to Congress is: What on Earth are we waiting for? Why should our children be allowed to study in crumbling or outdated schools? How does that give them the sense their education is important? We should build them the best schools! That’s what I want for my kids; that’s what I want for your kids; that’s what I want for all our children. Why should we let China build the newest airports and fastest railroads? We should build them here! There is work to be done; there are workers ready to do it; so let’s tell Congress: Pass this jobs bill right away.

Let’s pass this jobs bill and put teachers back in the classroom where they belong. While places like South Korea are adding teachers to prepare their kids for the global economy, we’re laying ours off left and right. All across the country, budget cuts are forcing superintendents to make choices they don’t want to make. I can tell you the last thing a governor like Colorado’s John Hickenlooper wants to do is lose schools and teachers. It’s unfair to our kids, it undermines their future and it has to stop. Tell Congress to pass the American Jobs Act, and there will be funding to save the jobs of thousands of Colorado teachers—and cops and firefighters, too.