7 Detroit Schools Closed Thursday Due To Teacher Sick-Out; EM Vows To Discipline Educators Involved
DETROIT (WWJ) - Seven Detroit public schools are closed Thursday due to an unauthorized teacher sick-out, and those educators who don't show up for classes could now face consequences for their actions.
Gompers Elementary-Middle School, Bates Academy, Paul Robeson Malcolm X Academy, Detroit College Prep Academy at Northwestern, Ann Arbor Trail Magnet Middle School, Bagley Elementary School and Cody Medical Community Health Academy will be closed Thursday Dec. 10 because there aren't enough teachers to fill the classrooms.
A large number of teachers apparently organized to stay home as a way to protest a number of grievances -- including Governor Rick Snyder's plans to split DPS. District confirmed the schools were closed, saying they are monitoring the situation closely.
DPS Emergency Manager Darnell Earley issued a statement condemning the so-called sick-out, saying teachers should be focused on their students' education and not their own agenda. He added that anyone suspected of being involved in the incident will be under review.
"The District has the right to review suspected abuses of sick leave. Any DPS teacher calling off on personal illness in connection with any reported 'teacher sick-out' will be subject to a review of their actions," Early said. "The review will include requiring medical documentation to substantiate the illness in order to determine whether the reported time was legitimately charged as personal illness. Failure to provide documentation may result in the absence being without pay, and further disciplinary action being taken in accordance with district policy."
A parent of a student at Gompers, who did not want to be named, said he supports the teachers in their protest.
"They deserve every dime, especially with these politicians -- they can write a bad check and call it a perk. We write a bad check and they call it a felony, you know, they're stealing all the money from the teachers. This is crazy," he said.
Many students don't understand why their teachers are taking the day off. One boy said he is worried about getting bad grades from missing another day of school.
"My reading teacher said that we had a paper due today and I have a whole bunch of missing assignments that I've got to make up and this was the day so I hope I don't get F's on that," he said.
In the end, WWJ Lansing Bureau Tim Skubick said the sick-out might prove to be for naught.
"Not to pass judgment on what the teachers are doing, but I can pretty well predict that in the legislative process, particularly among Republicans who are in no mood to help Detroit from the get-go, this is not going to help," he said.
A teacher sick-out prompted three Detroit schools to close last Tuesday. Educators involved in that instance issued a statement saying they "caught the Snyder Flu."
Snyder's plan, outlined in April, calls for an "old" and "new" district — one to pay off $715 million in operating debt and the other to operate schools he says are in academic crisis.
The new Detroit Community School District would handle academic operations, payroll, health care, employee contracts and computers. The current Detroit Public Schools would remain intact for tax-collection purposes and to retire the debt.
A Detroit Education Commission – with three gubernatorial appointees and two mayoral appointees – would hire a chief education officer to craft accountability, facilities and enrollment plans. The commission could reorganize or close low-performing traditional and charter schools.
The new district's board initially would governed by gubernatorial and mayoral appointees, transitioning to a fully elected board in 2021.
The Detroit Public Schools have been under state oversight since 2009.
