WASHINGTON—U.S. President Barack Obama used his weekly radio address to the nation to urge Congress to pass a series of economic proposals that will help put teachers back in the classroom.

Mr. Obama said teachers across the U.S. have been laid off because of the weak economy. He pointed to thousands of teacher layoffs in two of this year's election-battleground states—Pennsylvania and Ohio—to make his case and said nationwide school districts across the U.S. have lost 250,000 educators in the past three years.

"When...