At least 60 schools in Detroit are closed this morning after a planned teacher sick-out, continuing a protest launched last week over general turmoil in the district. The school district sent out an alert last night warning parents that a "minority" of teachers were continuing a protest that would result in the closure of a "high number" of schools, reported CNN. Twenty school closures were estimated at the time, but by this morning that number increased to at least 60.
"We haven't sanctioned the sick-outs, but I want everyone to understand the frustration," said Ivy Bailey, Interim President of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, according to ABC's Detroit affiliate WXYZ-TV.
Detroit public school teachers say the strike was spurred by inadequate working conditions brought about by mismanaged state budgets, which ultimately hurts students.
"Just as doctors take the Hippocratic Oath to uphold ethical standards, teachers also take a Loyalty Oath to serve, protect and allow no harm. Unfortunately, we have been unable to live up to that with the constant change of leadership, state control and 4 consecutive Emergency Managers," reads a statement from the group Detroit Teachers Fight Back.
However, Detroit Public Schools argues the sick-outs are counterintuitive and won't help the teachers get what they demand.
"It's clear that teachers are feeling an overwhelming sense of frustration over the challenges that they and all DPS employees face as they do their jobs each day," said DPS Emergency Manager Darnell Earley in a statement. "We understand and share their frustration. However, 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. Unfortunately, obtaining that support becomes more challenging with each closure of a school due to a teacher sick-out."
In the meantime, the Detroit Federation of Teachers is holding a news conference "to discuss the chronic, toxic environmental and learning conditions that educators and students face in Detroit classrooms," according to the Detroit Free Press.
