The constantly embattled teachers of the Detroit Public School System have hit another brick wall in their fight for fair pay.
The frustrated group of educators have been at odds with local lawmakers for quite some time now. Faculty and staff have repeatedly shed light on a plethora of problematic issues within the DPS system including horribly deteriorating building conditions, too-small classrooms, and a dangerously low student to teacher ratio. Many of the teachers have attempted to work through the unimaginable situation in between strikes for the sake of the children, but the latest round of bad news may just be the last straw.
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The school district’s emergency manager Judge Steven Rhodes announced on Monday that there isn’t enough funding to pay teachers beyond June 30. In light of the news, hundreds of teachers called in sick, resulting in a shut down of all but three Detroit public schools due to there not being enough teachers to teach the students. The teachers’ last “sick out” was back in January, when they protested and shared disturbing pictures on social media showing the terrible conditions the students and faculty are subjected to everyday. The photos showed things like dead rodents, unsanitary bathrooms and excessive mold growing on the ceilings in several of the schools in the district.
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Lawmakers who have been struggling to deal with the city’s dire financial situation since filing for bankruptcy in 2013 reportedly fear the worst for the future of the Detroit Public School Systems if they can’t figure out an efficient way to deal with the school’s massive operating debt.
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According to reports from the Detroit Free Press, The Detroit Teachers Union is set to hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday to determine their next course of action.
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