Detroit teachers protest hearing that could put an end to sickouts
A judge is hearing a case that could stop teachers from calling in sick en masse to protest deteriorating conditions
About 60 Detroit teachers protested Monday outside a court where a judge is to hear arguments in a case that could force teachers to stop calling in sick as a form of protest.
A couple dozen other teachers were in the courtroom waiting for the hearing to start. Teachers' sickouts have repeatedly forced Detroit to close public schools in the past two weeks, keeping thousands of students at home. In a bid to stop the absences, the city's school district filed a lawsuit.
The governor and the school district's emergency manager should be put on trial, not teachers, according to Detroit teacher Steve Conn. Teachers are upset over pay, class sizes, building conditions and Gov. Rick Snyder's plan to overhaul the district.
Two schools closed Monday because of a high volume of teacher absences, said the district, which has about 100 public schools and 46,000 students. On Wednesday a sickout shut down more than 85 of the district's schools.
That and other sickouts have angered Republicans in Michigan's Legislature, which they control. Last week they Detroit Teachers Protest Hearing on Sickouts | Al Jazeera America:
