Last Day for Many Detroit Schools and Teachers

An endless summer awaits many of Detroit’s teachers and school buildings this Thursday. Detroit, one of the poorest and most dangerous cities in America, is about to add thousands of teachers to its unemployment rolls and dozens of buildings to its vacancy problem. A third of this cash-strapped city is reported to be vacant already. The closing of more schools could be the death knell for many of the remaining neighborhoods in these dire economic times.

Although the city has a five-year plan to renovate or replace school buildings, funded in part by federal stimulus, 32 buildings will be closed permanently by the end of the year, with a dozen more to follow over the next two years.

In addition to closing buildings and consolidating shrinking enrollment, the district pink-slipped 1,983 teachers, including Michigan’s 2007 Teacher of the Year, Kimberly Kyff.

Kyff, a fourteen-year veteran, will see her current elementary school close after the summer school session. She and the other teachers at her eastside school attempted to maintain a business-as-usual attitude for the sake of their young charges since discovering, on June 7th, that their school wouldn’t be reopening in the fall. But bewildered parents and children are reeling from the loss.

Neighborhood schools are often the glue holding together what’s left of urban areas. Communities can vanish in their absence.

Detroit is not the only urban school district facing massive staff layoffs, and tasked with shuttering schools. Kansas City will close 26 of its 66 schools. Cleveland will lose 14 schools. And the state of California is braced for massive teacher reductions.

In the case of Kansas City and Detroit, falling enrollments make the maintenance of many of the neighborhood schools cost prohibitive. But that doesn’t change the fact that urban neighborhoods without schools are less desirable places to live. And areas that lose their schools, are vulnerable to decay.

With the edu-jobs bill still stalled in Congress — and likely to remain their over the summer break despite the recent personal appeal by the White House to pass it — Detroit is unlikely to be financially able to hire back many, or any teachers, making the 2010/11 school year a challenging one for school officials, parents, remaining teachers and their students.

Regardless, the schools are gone and no amount of last minute funding will bring them back.

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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
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Donna F.

10:28AM PDT on Jun 28, 2010

What a pity.

send a green star

gerlinde p.

4:12AM PDT on Jun 26, 2010

very sad situation.

Fa'izah J. A.

12:52PM PDT on Jun 25, 2010

Of all the investments that any school district or community can make, the investment in the future by properly educating children is by far the best of investments. Third world countries understand this so it escapes logic why first world countries often fail to understand it. Anytime I hear of schools closing it means the remaining schools will quickly become overcrowded thus serving only to poorly educate children which directly leads to issues of increased juvenile delinquency, drug/alcohol abuse, crime and teen pregnancy to mention of few.

5:19PM PDT on Jun 24, 2010

These are tough times to be a teacher, and harder times to be a student.

Ashley N.

12:55AM PDT on Jun 22, 2010

The educational crisis just gets worse and worse.

Lorena P.

6:44PM PDT on Jun 21, 2010

Kids should not receive less education than other children just because of where they live!

Kurt V.

8:20AM PDT on Jun 20, 2010

Good info.

David M.

7:56AM PDT on Jun 20, 2010

This is very important news here. Teachers are being pink slipped everywhere and this article reveals only a tip of the iceberg (though one huge tip). Instead of investing in our future, students are without teachers and class sizes are growing. This is certainly a step in reverse. For students in high poverty areas there is no margin of error. We need to give them the very best, consistently, over the span of their schooling years.
These are tough times to be a teacher, and harder times to be a student.

Bridget P.

7:19PM PDT on Jun 19, 2010

great story

Carole C.

1:46PM PDT on Jun 19, 2010

Children can't vote and can't buy legislators like PACs and lobbyists. Our country has completely distanced itself from helping those who need help the most, instead giving more to those who give them money. Billions of dollars go to banks, the oil industry, and other powerful interests. Meanwhile, our schools close and children go hungry. The number of homeless children attending the schools I work in increases every year. This year, my town of about 70,000 closed 2 elementary schools and will close 3 more next year. More than 50 teachers, counselors, specialists, and others were pink-slipped at the end of this school year. Parents work 2 low-paying jobs, if they are lucky enough to have a job at all Our children are being denied education, and with that, will lose opportunities that will affect generations.