“We’re gratified to see the House tackle the tough issues facing Detroit Public Schools while at the same time protecting the best interests of parents and students”, Quisenberry said.
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Tens of thousands of students are returning to Detroit, Michigan classrooms after teachers ended a two-day sickout, with the financially strapped school system assuring them that they will be paid.
The latest manifestations of the school district’s woes erupted earlier this week, when almost 100 Detroit schools were forced to close because of “sick-outs”, planned after teachers received news that the city would not pay them over the summer.
While Detroit teachers believe they pressured the legislature to act with its sickouts this week, the house appears far from concerned beyond frustration over a lot of school kids weren’t educated or weren’t fed. But House Minority Leader Tim Greimel, D-Auburn Hills, said that without more adequate funding and oversight, the $500 million would be a waste of money. The Senate, which also is controlled by Republicans, passed a version of the restructuring plan that did include the additional spending.
Lawmakers in the GOP-controlled chamber started session Wednesday, but didn’t emerge with a plan until a series of private caucus meetings had ended some 15 hours later. On Wednesday morning, the district said all schools were open except for one that was closed due to a power outage.
Republican state Senator Goeff Hansen, lead negotiator on the Senate bills, said in a statement he had serious concerns with many aspects of the House legislation, but would work toward a bipartisan solution that he said must include compromise. But the union blasted the legislation that would also forbid existing labor agreements from transferring to the new district.
But their union has turned its sights to state lawmakers in Lansing, who on Tuesday advanced a $500 million plan to restructure the district.
The protest, which resulted in almost 45,000 schoolchildren staying home, was held in response to fears that teachers who deferred part of their salaries to get checks during the summer months would not be paid.
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American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten visited Detroit on Tuesday to support the local union.
