In a statement on the union website, the Detroit Federation of Teachers said it met with public schools Transition Manager Judge Steven Rhodes “and other decision makers” on Monday “to get an assurance that our members will be paid for their work”.
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Michigan State Representative Sherry Gay-Dagnogo (D-Detroit) explained to RT that many teachers in the district opt into a pay system where their earnings are stretched out over the summer.
It was not immediately known how many of Detroit Public School’s approximately 46,000 students were affected by the continuing sick-out, but the district said more than 45,000 missed class Monday.
In March, the state approved $47.8 million in emergency funding to keep Detroit Public Schools afloat through June 30, but the question of what happens after that remains to be answered.
Unfortunately, by refusing to guarantee that we will be paid for our work, DPS is effectively locking our members out of the classrooms.. You can’t pay the teachers their money? “But at this point, the rubber has to hit the road, and they have to get us stabilized already if that truly is the plan”.
“This is about getting local control back of our schools”, Mayowa Reynolds, a dance and performing arts teacher at Detroit’s Cass Technical High School, said in a phone interview with Mic. The city’s remaining 2,600 teachers are now calling for an audit of the school district’s finances to find out. Parkman, 42, was able to get his mother to watch the kids Monday, but said he might have to take time off from his catering business if more sick-outs are held. I am however confident the legislature will support the request that will guarantee that teachers will receive the pay that is owed to them.
Bailey said when they asked if the money they received would include money for all employees who are on a 26 pay period, they were told “yes”.
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan took a tour of schools in response to the outrage in January.
“I understand the frustration and anger that our teachers feel”, Rhodes said.
Teacher strikes are illegal under MI law, which is why teachers have to use “sickouts” as a protest.
Republican Gov. Rick Snyder said Monday that he hopes to see action this month and “clearly before the middle of June” by lawmakers.
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Reason: Rolling sick-outs were used to spotlight dilapidated buildings, stagnant wages, super-sized classes and Snyder’s controversial plan to divide Detroit Public Schools into two, creating a new debt-free school district. Part of this is due to the historic underfunding of these schools, but in Detroit it is compounded by a poor infrastructure in which teachers must try to educate students. “Their selfish and misguided plea for attention only makes it harder for us to enact a rescue plan and makes it harder for Detroit’s youngest residents to get ahead and build a future for themselves”. Part of the protest by both teachers and parents was to motivate the MI legislature to approve a $715 million education reform package to pay salaries in July and beyond.
