Starting January 11, 62 schools have closed as a result of mass sickouts. This past Wednesday, there was no class in 88 schools, which is about 90% of those in the system. Furthermore, approximately 700,000 instructional hours have been lost, and this has caused about 46,000 students to stay home. On Wednesday, January 20th, Obama visited Detroit, Michigan for the North American International Auto Show and to address the issue of the Flint water protests and the degradation of the schools.

Teachers are striking and protesting the vile nature of the schools by calling in sick, and many schools have closed as a result of these sick outs. To bring their issue into the national spotlight, many protestors and teachers gathered outside the Cobo Center, where the auto show was being held and where Obama was currently visiting, to decry their working situations. According to the teachers, there are several dead rats that can be found in and around schools, mildew covering the ceilings and walls of the buildings, and severe weathering and damage to the buildings. They blame these deplorable conditions and hazardous environmental settings on the lack of funding and poor decisions.

Currently, the Detroit Public school system is $515 million in debt. About $7,400 of school funding is allocated per student each year. However, close to $1,200 of that goes to pay down debt and other costs. Last week, the state Legislature proposed an agenda, where tax revenue would continue to pay off the debt isolated in the DPS system, but that the state would still gain room to inject additional funding into the new school system. To also address these issues, Detroit mayor Duggan has ordered inspections of all the city’s public schools.

Today, the schools have reopened, yet the issues the teachers bring up have still yet to be accounted for. The Detroit Public School system must find a way to address these issues with the massive debt they face. This will not be an easy task. Cat Han (12) stated that “Education is vital for children, and they deserve a safe and healthy environment to grow and develop. I support these teachers and believe they have both their and their students’ best intentions in mind.”

Source: CNN