Heartbreaking story of a Michigan school district that elected to literally shut its doors last week in response to a budget crisis. Teachers voted to work for free (after also voting for four years in a row to freeze their salaries and reduce their numbers by 50%), but the school has locked the doors. In addition to laying off all of the teachers and not paying them, the district announced that it will pay no health claims effective immediately. Happy Teacher Appreciation Week!
The district is in Saginaw Michigan, its population is 70% Black, 35% in poverty. The state’s (and county’s) failure to intervene is unconscionable. If the experience of previous school districts is anything to go by, a state emergency manager will soon be appointed and privatize the entire school district.
Read:MSNBC, the school district’s website, Huffington Post, and a great local piece.
