State manager for Detroit schools leaving job months early

Though he was not the emergency manager when Flint chose to join a new water authority, he was in charge when it left the Detroit water system and chose to draw water temporarily from the Flint River, a decision that ultimately led to the water crisis there.

The report comes after Earley had refused to testify before the committee during a hearing on Wednesday.

The City of Flint Water Plant is illuminated by moonlight on January 23, 2016 in Flint, Michigan.

On Tuesday, Snyder said Earley “has done a very good job under some very hard circumstances”.

Democratic lawmakers, who oppose the emergency manager law that gives the state broad financial powers in municipalities and school districts, had called for Earley’s resignation both because of problems in Detroit – rolling teacher sick-outs in the district have forced dozens of schools to close intermittently in recent months due to complaints about decaying facilities and wrecked finances – and his role in Flint.

Former Flint emergency manager Darnell Earley is refusing to testify on the city’s water crisis during a Congressional hearing Wednesday, Feb. 3, and Democrats are pushing Gov. Rick Snyder to direct him otherwise.

The Flint Journal-MLive could not immediately reach Earley or a representative for U.S. Rep. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, chairman of the oversight committee, for comment. The governor must demand that he testify before Congress tomorrow and be completely transparent in turning over every document related to what happened. The Detroit Federation of Teachers union sued the district last week, calling for repairing buildings and removing Earley.

Snyder has said he had not been invited to the hearing. She accused him of “a willful and deliberate indifference to our schools” and “a blatant disrespect for the teachers, school employees, parents and students of our city”. State regulators failed to require that the water from the Flint River be properly treated, allowing lead from pipes to leach into the supply and causing a public health emergency.

“The end of emergency management, not a replacement, not Darnell Earley the second”, Conn said.

Flint Mayor Karen Weaver and the governor have declared states of emergency since reports were released about the quality of the water.

Earley told the governor in a letter that he will step down officially on February 29, saying he worked diligently “to eliminate the District’s structural budget deficit”. Snyder called in the National Guard to help deliver clean water to residents.

Ivy Bailey said Tuesday that “appointing another emergency manager won’t fix Detroit’s education crisis”.

Snyder told CNN last week that he’s committed to dealing with the water crisis and won’t step down.