Detroit: DFT picket tomorrow
EducationNov 21, 2010Picture of a Detroit School
DFT members: This week we finally end the long DFT retreat, and start to move forward in the fight to defend public education.
1. The DFT is calling its members and all supporters of public education to rally and picket State Rep Fred Durhal’s office, at 4 pm this Monday, November 22. The office is located at 8140 Grand River, about one-half mile north of West Grand Blvd.
Durhal is the state rep who introduced Bobb’s legislation Wednesday.
Bobb’s bills would allow all Michigan school districts operating with financial deficits to impose addendums to their union contracts that would: (a) eliminate seniority; (b) eliminate class size maximums and all other work rules (lesson prep time, etc) that district officials say is an impediment to “financial and academic reforms”; (c) allow for the unilateral implementation of merit pay, a longer school day and school year, and new attendance policies.
As I emphasized at Thursday’s membership meeting, the bill creates a permanent Second-Class Status for majority black and poor white districts of Michigan, where we are already seeing 40 - 50 or more students in classes, and the replacement of a stable teaching corps with a revolving door of teachers modeled after the charter schools.
The DFT membership voted to picket Durhal at last week’s monthly membership meeting. We also voted to call on supporters of public