DETROIT – Detroit Public School teachers say they can’t win this fight without the support of the community.
They went door-to-door asking residents to sign a petition.
“I’ve already signed the petition,” Chris Thomas said. He has three kids enrolled in DPS and says it’s about time someone stood up for students.
“You got to take a hard look behind brick and mortar,” Thomas said. “Why does this school have mushrooms growing out of the hall? Why are their tiles falling? What makes it OK to be that way?”
After planned sick-outs forced most of the school district to close, some Detroit teachers wanted to take their message to the parents.
“We want them to know we don’t want deplorable conditions for our children,” said Rochelle Massingill, a special education teacher. “It has to stop somewhere and if it’s not us, then who? And if not now, then when?”
DPS says 31,000 of the district’s 46,000 students have missed a day or more of school due to teacher sick-outs.
The district is pursing legal action, arguing a strike is illegal by public employees. The Michigan Court of Claims denied the request for a temporary restraining order halting teacher sick-outs.
READ: Court denies request for temporary restraining order against Detroit teachers
“We’re starting small and then hopefully it won’t end today,” said Terrence Martin, vice president of the Detroit Federation of Teachers. “We will build until we get what children deserve.”
Teachers are organizing a rally in support of the 23 teachers named in the DPS lawsuit. The rally will be outside the state the state building at 10:30 a.m. Monday.