Detroit Teachers Have Been On Strike Since Monday.

[NaturalHigh]

http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060828/NEWS12/608280426/-1/BUSINESS07

DETROIT (AP) -- Teachers frustrated by failed efforts to reach a contract agreement with the city's public school district were on strike Monday and said they were prepared to stand their ground for as long as it takes.
The Detroit Federation of Teachers overwhelmingly rejected a two-year contract proposal by the district on Sunday and decided to strike.
The proposal included a 5.5 percent wage reduction and copays for health care benefits of up to 20 percent. Only two teachers out of nearly 6,000 voted to accept the district's proposal, the union said. The teachers are seeking a pay increase.

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This is not exactly breaking news, I know, but I hope everyone is paying attention. The teachers' pickets have been called off for the Labor Day weekend, and I hope the administration and the DFT don't try to use that break to cram some sort of rotten deal down the teachers' throats.

[bluestateguy]

1. I heard Detroit has very crappy public schools?

Is this true?

[etherealtruth]

3. Horrendous

The education that the children receive in the city of Detroit is criminal (IMO).

I can't find the articles at the moment, but in some rankings Detroit Public Schools are among the worst in the nation.

[NaturalHigh]

5. I've been keeping up with the strike...

and from everything I've read, yes, the schools are terrible.

[NOLADEM]

2. Any Detroit DU'ers here that can answer a question?

I live in New Orleans, home of the worst public school system in the country.

My understanding from local discussions of New Orleans Public Schools is that Detroit also has a horrid school system. Is that the case?

Here in N.O., we are changing the school district RADICALLY in response to the opportunity offered by Katrina to start over, with Magnet Schools, Charter Schools, Trade Schools and Specialty Schools of other sorts taking the place of the violent daycare crime schools that were offered by NOLA school district pre-storm.

Is there any effort in Detroit to undertake a similar effort?

I am NOT a proponent of charter schools, or religious groups using a back door to gubment money, but here in NOLA I am THRILLED so far with what has been done. Simply THRILLED. Community involvement is amazing, and people are pouring their money and effort into rehabbing the schools now that the crooks are not in charge of the school district.

[etherealtruth]

4. I don't live in the city ...

Here's a recent article:
http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060622/OPINION01/606220323/1008

"Detroit school officials are taking great offense at a new national report that pegs the 2003 high school graduation rate at just 21.7 percent. And that number, Detroit insists, is now much closer to 63 percent, when those who have abandoned the city schools for suburban, private and charter schools are counted."

...

"The district has failed. Report after report indicates the same thing. And yet the education establishment will not admit defeat and allow parents more publicly funded choices."

Many (most) of the surrounding suburban school districts are very good (ranging from excellent to at least adequate)