Sickout Sequel: Teacher protest again closes most Detroit schools
The Detroit Public Schools has gone to court to seek a temporary injunction to end a sickout by protesting teachers closed 88 schools in the city.
The Detroit Free Press reports that the district is seeking relief in the Michigan Court of Claims, The teacher sickout is meant to call attention to large class sizes, dilapidated buildings and other problems in the struggling Detroit school system.
District officials say they had no choice but to close most of its schools. A spokeswoman say 44,790 of Detroit's 46,325 students lost a day of instruction.
In addition to calling attention to the poor conditions of many schools, teachers also say they're concerned about stagnant wages, large class sizes and Gov. Rick Snyder’s proposal that would divide the district into two entities, one to pay off the district's debt, the other to educate children.
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About the Author
Mike Kennedy
Senior Editor
Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.