It's Official!

One by one today, via facebook , twitter and text messages, my friends are letting the world know they received their recall letter. For most, they had already been verbally assured by a principal they were being recalled and to which school. Still, the sense of relief you get reading these posts is overwhelming. Layoffs were to take effect tomorrow at 4:00. Yet, this is much more notice than many received the last few years where letters were typically received AFTER the date to return to work and school assignments took up to several weeks to receive. Unbelievable isn’t it?

And yet, professionals that they are, most Detroit Public School teachers had already been reporting to duty the past few weeks. Workshops were scheduled and attended without any substantial assurance that they would be assigned to these schools. Some brave souls even began carting their belongings and materials to set up rooms that could be revoked at the last possible minute. While the news has been focused on the antics of a dueling Emergency Manager and School Board, they haven’t taken notice that teachers are doing everything possible to help the children of Detroit get off to a good start despite the madness of politics gone wild.

Mr. Roberts, exercising your financial power today, you shut down Fredrick Douglas Academy forcing the elected school board to meet in the parking lot. Elected School Board members, you have been busy scheming the last few weeks to reverse every Emergency Manager decision made over the last couple years. Did you notice your teachers busily stepping over and around you to offer our community some stability? I thought not.