Most Detroit schools closed due to teacher 'sickouts'

On Monday, the same number of schools closed after more than 1,500 teachers called in sick to protest when they learned the district has only enough money to pay them through June 30.
The Detroit school system is deep in the red, with more than $500 million of operating debt, the Michigan governor's office has said.
In January, teachers staged a sickout to protest dilapidated and dangerously unsanitary conditions -- including rat and roach infestations, black mold and falling ceiling panels -- forcing the closure of dozens of schools. A judge later ruled that teachers could continue staging the sickouts after the district brought the union to court over the issue.
Teachers and some parents are urging Michigan lawmakers to pass a $715 million education reform package that would fund salaries for July and beyond.
The legislation has passed the Michigan Senate but still needs to be approved by the House of Representatives and Gov. Rick Snyder.
"I have been and remain confident that the Michigan Legislature understands the urgency and importance of the reform legislation that is before it," said Judge Steven Rhodes, whom Snyder appointed in February to be the transition manager for Detroit Public Schools. "The future of Detroit is as much at stake here as the future of the school system."
Rhodes called the sickouts "drastic" and "unnecessary" but said he was sympathetic to the teachers' plight.
"I am on record as saying that I cannot in good conscience ask anyone to work without pay," he said. "Wages that are owed to teachers should be paid. ... I understand the frustration and anger that our teachers feel."

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eohrnberger said:

Kinda right in the middle of it.

Should also note that a number of principals and other administrators as well as the contractor have been federally charged with fraud and corruption, I'm pretty sure those were the charges, for over charging DPS for school supplies that were never delivered, or never fully delivered (partial shipment?), the contractor kicking back money to those that authorized the invoices.

With crap like that going on, little wonder that there's a $700M debt hanging over the school system, which in recent years has lost 2/3's of it's student body.

Seems like the teacher's union, which appears to have instigated this sick out, is wanting to put the final nail in DPS' coffin.

A lot of the electorate outside of Detroit are asking 'How many times do we have to bail out Detroit?', and I'd be among them, and think it's a legitimate question.

What is also surprising is that the parents have demonstrated in the past to push the state financial manager out of running DPS. Makes me wonder how far the kickback scheme goes.

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Seems like the teacher's union, which appears to have instigated this sick out, is wanting to put the final nail in DPS' coffin.

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David_N said:

I mean, would you work without pay?

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