Detroit teachers protest governor's plan to overhaul district

LANSING, Mich. – More than 100 Detroit teachers and other educators were on the streets instead of the classroom Thursday to protest Gov. Rick Snyder's proposal to divide the district's operations to address "crushing" debt.

The teachers' protests in Lansing and Detroit forced the closure of 18 schools.

Detroit Federation of Teachers President Steve Conn said he understands that the protests were at the expense of students, but said they were necessary.

"We've got to make a point that the governor is going in the complete wrong direction. Unfortunately, this is the only way we're going to make that point. We're determined to fight. This is just the beginning, mind you," Conn said.

Teachers Local 4 spoke with said Thursday was short-term pain for long-term good.

"We're actually standing up for students, because when you're talking about fracturing a district, let's just question what the emergency manager has done. He's created this enormous debt," said Tracy Russell.

Two House Education Committee members had differing views.

"They shut down 17 schools today? How many schools have they shut down over the last 15 years? I think that's a bigger indictment on the overall system that I think have failed children in the city of Detroit," said Rep. Harvey Santana, D-Detroit.

Rep. Patrick Sommerville, R-New Boston, said he doesn't agree with students missing classroom time.

"I wish it was dealt with in a better manner," Sommerville said.

Teachers said Snyder's plan of division would equal multiplication in the classroom.

"Last year we had 50 children in a sixth-grade class. How do you teach with that?" Susan Thurston.

Conn said the DFT will meet Sunday to decide what they will do going forward.

About Snyder's plan

The plan would create a new district, the City of Detroit Education District, to handle the academic operations of all public schools under an appointed board.

Detroit Public Schools would remain intact, charged with paying off $483 million in debt over approximately seven years.

Read: Michigan governor wants to split Detroit Public Schools district to isolate debt

Because existing local school taxes would go toward the debt, Snyder will ask the Republican-controlled Legislature to direct $72 million more annually to the new district for approximately seven years.

Detroit Public Schools, which has been under state oversight since 2009 and is labeled the country's worst-performing urban district academically, would continue to have an emergency manager until July 2016, when the shift to the new district would occur.

Snyder and Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan would appoint a seven-member board to manage the district that would be replaced by elected members over six years. A separate review board would oversee finances, while another board of appointees would hire an education manager to oversee all traditional and charter schools in the city and determine if those not showing improvement should be closed.

The new district would have a universal enrollment system, in which parents could rank three choices among traditional and charter schools across the city.

Allocating an additional $72 million a year to the district could cost other Michigan districts about $50 per student in funding, according to the nonpartisan Citizens Research Council of Michigan.

Full statement from district emergency manager Darnell Earley:

"Detroit Public Schools' sole focus and goal is the education of the more than 47,000 students whose education it has been entrusted with by their families. That focus and goal should be shared by all DPS employees. While we can agree to disagree on matters of policy, those disagreements should never impact our students and the instructional time they are entitled to as it has today – with 17 schools having been closed due to lack of teachers and other instructional staff. This unplanned turn of events is seriously misguided and directly harms our students – taking away a day in the classroom that students can ill-afford given the school days already missed due to our severe weather this past winter. It is truly unfortunate that so many of those who profess to be dedicated educators have decided to participate in this action given its unjustifiable and unconscionable consequence."