Teachers told Local 4 they’ve seen mushrooms growing at other Detroit Public Schools (DPS).
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DPS officials say the following schools are closed due to a high volume of teacher absences: Academy of the Americas, Bates, Bow, Burton, Carleton, Carstens, Carver, Coleman Young, Dixon, Drew, Gompers, Henderson, Marcus Garvey, Mackenzie, Mark Twain, Palmer Park, Pasteur, Paul Robeson, Sampson, Spain, Thirkell, Thurgood Marshall, Turning Point and Vernor.
Many Detroit schools are closed again because of an absence of teachers, although the number has dropped.
Mayor Mike Dugan will visit the schools with city health and buildings officials on Tuesday morning after complaints from the district teachers union that some have mold and are infested with rodents.
Detroit’s schools have been under continuous state oversight for almost seven years.
In the meantime, Duggan said that his tour of district facilities would examine whether current conditions in the schools may be in violation of city building and health codes. Last night, the district had announced 20 schools to be closed.
The school system’s emergency manager, Darnell Earley, said in a statement, “We understand and share (the teachers’) frustration” but that “given the reality of the District’s financial distress, it is becoming clearer every day that the only way that we are going to be able to address these serious issues in any way is through an investment in DPS by the Michigan Legislature”.
Public schools receive state funding for each student enrolled.
“I saw a dead mouse in a classroom”, Duggan said. “They have building issues, there’s nobody denying that, but what I can say is when problems are reported, DPS investigates them and addresses them in as timely a manor as possible”, Zdrodowski said.
“Detroit’s public schools have been a problem for Michigan’s governor, Rick Snyder, a Republican who ushered the city into the largest municipal bankruptcy in USA history”.
There are 100 schools in the district.
Snyder has proposed a $715 million plan that would create a new, debt-free Detroit school district and a commission to oversee the opening and closing of the city’s schools, but legislation has not been introduced. The district serves about 46,000 students in 100 schools. Whiston did not say when the meeting would take place. “We are dedicated to keeping safe and good, clean operating conditions”.
“We brought these issues about a lack of resources and unacceptable working conditions – there was a list of things – and nothing happened”, she said.
The teachers’ organization has also spoken out about unreasonable class sizes and teaching conditions.
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Detroit public schools officials did not respond to requests for comment.
