ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - Among those desperately hoping the country doesn’t go over the so-called fiscal cliff are educators who fear the automatic budget cuts in sequestration would cost thousands of jobs, including 1,000 in Missouri alone, according to Missouri National Education Association President Chris Guinther.

Guinther tells KMOX those jobs, including teachers and staff, would impact over 31,000 low-income, special needs and Head Start students. And, she adds, cuts to education don’t heal.

Guinther added that while everybody must do their part, the fairest solution is for Congress to allow the Bush-era tax cuts for the top two percent to expire while keeping them for everyone else.

“The middle class has been hurt more than the richest two percent of our nation and so, although several people have said everybody needs to feel the pain, I think some groups have felt it more than other groups,” Guinther said.