The American Federation of Teachers released the following statement regarding the deal.
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In a statement on its website, the Detroit Federation of Teachers, the union representing the city’s educators, said Rhodes and other officials had been unable Monday to guarantee that teachers would get paid for their work, leading to Tuesday’s continued sickout.
It’s disappointing to see Ivy Bailey, interim president of the DFT, spearheading these strikes. Although a judge ordered teachers to return to their classrooms, most did not. “No one should work for free”.
Over the weekend, the DFT heard a rumor that the school system would not guarantee educators at least some salaries from as early as April 28 through June. “Every two weeks, money is deducted from our pay and we thought (it) was set aside and in a restricted fund so that we could continue to get paid over the summer”, counselor Lakia Wilson said.
That did not go over well with Rep. Harvey Santana, D-Detroit, who choked up when he recalled being awakened by a grieving mother at 2 a.m. who told him her son, a man Santana had been trying to get out of “the hood” for years, had been shot in the chest three times.
Gov. Rick Snyder proposed overhauling the Detroit Public Schools a year ago, but legislators are at odds over issues such as charter schools, labour contracts and how quickly an elected school board takes power.
“I am on record as saying that I can not in good conscience ask anyone to work without pay”, he said. Detroit teachers need to stay in class.
Though the teachers union still criticized parts of the bill – namely that it would change existing labor agreements – the group said it would “encourage members to go back to school Wednesday based on discussions with the district’s state-appointed transitional manager, Steven Rhodes”, according to the AP.
But, that doesn’t mean Republican lawmakers supported the protests that closed schools.
The walkouts have angered many in the state Legislature – which approves the emergency budget measures -who point out that teacher strikes are illegal in MI. “We’re allowing things in Detroit that aren’t being pushed across the entire state”, said Rep. Brian Banks, D-Detroit, adding without the full transition costs, “It sets DPS up for failure because we haven’t adequately funded the issues and concerns”. “The doors were locked?”
The proposal passed by the House Appropriations Committee mostly along party lines would retire the districts enormous debt and launch a new district. No one seemed to have evidence indicating either amount was enough money to solve the problem. With so much money going to pay down debt, numerous school system’s facilities have fallen into disrepair, teachers say. “We don’t even know if we have accurate numbers”, said Rep. Sarah Roberts, D-St. “I think it’s important to note that this was an empowering week for us so far and there is a lot of fight left in us DPS teachers”, she says.
“If you are an emergency manager and you’re supposed to be the person who came here to straighten out our finances, and now they’re worse than they ever were…” A series of emergency managers have headed the district in the seven years since. “It is time we hold them accountable”.
The Michigan House of Representatives is debating the approval of a $715-million education reform package to help keep the district afloat.
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“If you believe this about improving educational quality in the City of Detroit, you are dead wrong”.
