Detroit mayor to tour schools after teachers’ complaints

According to DPS, the district will issue school closure alerts no later than 6 a.m. on Monday as they learn more information. Roughly 46,300 students are enrolled in district schools.

And though Conn claims to have affiliations with the union, the DFT says he was removed from his position as the elected DFT president previous year, CNN reported.

Calling teachers “the glue that holds this system together”, DFT interim president Ivy Bailey has not endorsed the sick-outs, but suggested that those criticizing teachers for their protest should see schools’ “deplorable conditions”, such as rat infestations.

The Detroit News reports that district officials said Tuesday that 24 schools were closed, more than 20 percent of the district. The district is run by an emergency manager appointed by Republican Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder.

Detroit’s schools have been under continuous state oversight for almost seven years. There have been numerous sickouts-a series of “rolling strikes” in which a large percentage of teachers call in sick at the same time-in Detroit over the past several months, but Monday’s is the largest yet.

People commenting on the schools’ Facebook page said teachers deserve better benefits, and remarked on overcrowded classrooms, unheated schools and teacher pay. He said teachers have legitimate concerns about maintenance and building conditions. “We refuse to stand by while teachers, school support staff and students are exposed to conditions that one might expect in a Third World country, not the United States of America”, Bailey said. The district didn’t immediately know how many students were forced to stay home. “We will continue to elevate that discussion because it too is critical to a long-term successful outcome for Detroit Public Schools and its students”.

Duggan said he understands the teachers’ frustrations but urged them to return to work.

Duggan says he plans to visit schools Tuesday to make sure the district is complying with city health and building codes.

Earlier, Snyder defended his school reform plan and expressed support for DPS Emergency Manager Darnell Earley. Nonetheless, she said, the district is troubled by the wave of teacher absences. “There are certainly problems that [need] to be addressed, quickly”.

Pedroni said this was similar to what has taken place in the nearby city of Flint.

Teachers have undertaken the sick-outs to protest their pay and call for smaller class sizes, among other things.

Meanwhile, state Superintendent Brian Whiston called on the district’s leadership to set up a meeting to respond to the health and safety issues teachers are raising. Earley has said during previous protests that teachers shouldn’t allow “differences of opinion or disagreements to interfere with the education of our students”.