Detroit schools are off to a rocky start to the 2006-2007 school year
There has been a slow and turbulent start to the new school year for Detroit Schools. In a battle over contracts, some 7,000 teachers and 2,000 staff members refused to start school in September. These contractual disagreements eventually lead to a brief battle. The contract disagreement began on August 28 after the Teachers Union rejected a two-year contract that included 5% pay cuts and increases in health insurance co-pays. Detroit Schools wants an $88 million grant from the Detroit School Teachers Union to help with the $105 million shortfall in its $1.36 billion budget.
On September 16, Detroit Circuit Court Judge Susan Borman ordered the 7,000 striking Detroit Schools teachers back to work. Following this order, Detroit Teachers Union President Janna Garrison read the order aloud to 3,000 members of the Detroit Federation of Teachers, but did not comment or give any instructions on whether the order should be obeyed. The vast majority of teachers did not return to work.
Detroit Schools spokesman Lekan Oguntoyinbo stated that under state law, teachers who defy the order could face penalties including fines and other actions. Oguntoyinbo said Detroit Schools would go back to court and request that the order be enforced. As of September 18, the teachers had not returned and Detroit Schools had not decided what action they would take.
On the first official day of school, Detroit Schools’ 130,000 students were greeted by their teachers who were not in the classroom but were protesting outside. Picketing teachers were the majority of teachers, only about 9% of Detroit schools had returned to work. The Detroit Schools Board of Education was concerned that the strike would cause students to withdraw from Detroit schools and their families to leave the city; however, most parents support teachers.
Detroit school teachers return to work
Although the contract issues have not been fully resolved, the Teachers Union has announced that teachers returned to work on September 20. This was primarily due to court pressure and not reconciliation between Detroit Schools and teachers.
Many union members, parents and other teacher supporters do not want the issue to remain on the table. These supporters want the Detroit School system overhauled. They claim that administration is very heavy and that every position must be justified in some way. Others want Detroit Schools to consider consolidating the schools. This idea has fewer supporters because it would involve school closures that would hit parents and neighborhoods hard. Although this would be the most drastic way to change Detroit Schools, it may be the most cost-effective. Like all topics there are many sides. Some want the top of Detroit schools to be run more like a business, which would include offering teacher buyouts, others believe education should be the primary focus no matter what the costs.