As reported today by CNN, 94 out of 97 Detroit public schools closed this morning [Monday, May 2] after a mass number of teachers called in sick.
When the teachers learned this past weekend that they may not be paid after June 30, more than 1,500 of them called in sick, forcing numerous schools to close.
The interim president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers Ivy Bailey says the district is running out of money.
This isn’t the first time Detroit public school teachers have protested by calling in sick.
This morning outside of a school district administration building, more than 500 people turned out at a rally in support of the city’s teachers.
The unions are urging Michigan lawmakers to pass a $715 million education reform package to fund salaries from July and beyond.
The average teacher salary in Detroit is $63,716 and around 47,000 students are enrolled in the public schools. Detroit’s public schools have been in a crisis now for months and a solution isn’t happening fast enough for many parents and countless students.
