DETROIT – Some Detroit schools are closed Wednesday because of an absence of teachers, although the number is lower than in previous days.
The district said Durfee, Keidan, Mason, Ronald Bown, and Shultze are closed, compared to about two dozen on Tuesday and more than 60 on Monday, affecting tens of thousands of students. The so-called sick-out last week involved a handful of schools.
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Bunch is also closed because of a power outage.
Check: Full list of school closings in metro Detroit
The closings are a part of a recent series of protests. Teachers are upset over class sizes, pay, the condition of buildings and a plan by Gov. Rick Snyder to deal with millions of debt by creating a new district.
"The deplorable conditions in our schools have created a serious environmental and educational crisis that is being ignored," said DFT Interim President Ivy Bailey. "We refuse to stand by while teachers, school support staff and students are exposed to conditions that one might expect in a Third World country, not the United States of America.”
The district is run by Emergency Manager Darnell Earley. He acknowledges the concerns of teachers but calls the sick days "misguided."
Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan recently went on a tour of three schools, after teachers also voiced complaints about health concerns.