House lawmakers started session Wednesday and emerged from a series of private caucus meetings to approve a plan to make sure teachers are paid and the district pays off debt.
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“We’re calling for Gov. Snyder to put a stop to this”.
The coalition held a press conference Thursday morning to denounce the legislation, which would provide $500 million in debt-relief. Some estimate it will actually cost $800 million to fully bail out Detroit Public Schools.
“House Republicans had a chance to work in bipartisan fashion”, said state Rep. Fred Durhal III (D), “but instead they chose to pave their own path with corporate special interests that run for-profit schools here in MI”.
The package now heads to the Senate for approval.
“It’s quite a bit different, so we’re going to have to figure out those differences”, said Senate Majority Leader Arlan Meekhof (R-West Olive). They provided the funding necessary to give DPS a real chance of a successful transition.
Dan Quisenberry, president of the Michigan Association of Public School Academies, issued a release that applauded the House version of the legislation, which cut out measures meant to tighten regulation of charter schools in Detroit.
Many Republicans said $500 million for a district that’s losing enrollment is a bad investment.
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. However, we will advance to the next phase of the legislative process and work toward a bipartisan solution that ensures strong, thriving education options for Detroit families. “We hope this package of legislation moves forward so that as a state, we can continue to move all schools in MI in a positive direction”. “There are some great charter providers in the city”.
The teachers’ so-called sick-outs have repeatedly forced the district to close schools during the past two weeks, keeping thousands of students at home, so in a bid to stop the absences, the district filed a lawsuit.
Republican Speaker of the House Kevin Cotter argued that including the commission a proposal also supported by Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan would have “choked out charter schools”.
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Students are returning to class in Detroit after teachers who called out sick for two days received assurances from the financially struggling district that they will continue to be paid.
