The Deplorable Learning Conditions Of Detroit Public Schools Are Unethical, Not Our Protests
Mr. Earley,
I have been a teacher in Detroit Public Schools for 24 years. I feel the need to respond to some of the comments you madeduring your press conference this week.
You described the actions of protesting teachers as “unethical.” I’m curious, then, how you would characterize the learning conditions of the children of Detroit Public Schools that have existed for years. These deplorable learning conditions happen to also be the teachers’ working conditions.
We deal with unsafe environments — both in the neighborhoods surrounding our schools and often within the schools themselves. Unlike you, students and teachers do not have a driver and security guards. Students who travel to and from school pass numerous abandoned, dangerous buildings and have been robbed, assaulted and raped. Teachers have been victims of violent crimes and have had their vehicles and personal property damaged and/or stolen, sometimes repeatedly. They suffer verbal abuse and some have been assaulted by angry students or parents.
“The children of Detroit have been used as pawns. Their voices have indeed been drowned out. But make no mistake, this has not been done by the teachers.”
Many schools have numerous plumbing problems in the lavatories, drinking fountains and sinks. Many outdated school buildings are crumbling — roofs, floors, windows, doors and locks that are broken or in desperate need of repair. Far too many classrooms are overcrowded, creating conditions that are not even safe, let alone conducive to learning.
