Amsterdam News Staff
Teachers and parents are taking Detroit’s schools to task … and to court.
Last week, the Detroit Federation of Teachers, along with the American Federation of Teachers and several parents, filed a complaint in Michigan’s Third Circuit Court accusing Detroit Public Schools and Emergency Manager Darnell Earley of allowing school facilities to deteriorate “to a crisis point,” forcing students to spend most of the day in subpar surroundings that affect their ability to be educated.
“The sorry state of these schools has been covered in incredible detail by the media in recent weeks, revealing the startling gravity of the crisis at DPS. In attempting to attain an education, children are being required to learn in rodent- and insect-infested buildings that are badly water damaged,” reads part of the lawsuit. “Children are being exposed to black mold as these buildings continue to crumble with debris falling from the ceilings. There are unrepaired bullet holes, exposed wires and boarded up windows. Heating systems are in such disrepair that many classrooms have temperatures below freezing or above 90 degrees. Technology schools are without Internet.”
The plaintiffs want the court to compel the DPS to conduct systemic inspections of all school buildings that present hazards they’re aware of and fix all existing code violations. They also want the court to compel the DPS and Earley to investigate complaints filed by parents and teachers about unsafe, hazardous school conditions, restore local control of DPS and continue court jurisdiction over the situation to make sure the defendants take care of the issue.
Detroit Federation of Teachers’ Interim President Ivy Bailey stated that the writing had been on the wall for DPS for a long while.
“Educators and parents have been raising the red flag for years about dangerous school conditions, only to be snubbed, ignored and disrespected by DPS and the emergency managers, including Earley,” said Bailey in a statement. “The state has brought the school district to its knees and now it’s time to give up the reins. Detroit teachers should be commended for bringing these problems to light.
“They work so hard despite the poor conditions and make so many sacrifices to give their kids a great education.”
AFT President Randi Weingarten, who recently toured Cody High School in the area, said children must be confused by what they’re told and what they’re shown.
“We send mixed messages to our children when we tell them that a great education is the gateway to a bright future yet make them sit for hours every day in abysmal, often dangerous classroom conditions,” said Weingarten in a statement. “No one should ever risk getting sick or injured just for walking into a school. Detroit Public Schools should be places where parents want to send their children, teachers want to teach and kids want to attend and learn.”