I wonder if they would have mentioned such stats if the 90% had been WASP, this sh*t really gets my goat...
5/4/04 10:07 AM [EMAIL PROTECTED]@blueyonder.co.uk > yep true and sad........ > > -----Original Message----- > From: Katrin Richter [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Mon 05/04/2004 10:56 > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; 313@hyperreal.org > Cc: > Subject: AW: (313) Detroit schools to cut 3,200 jobs > > > > Well, I guess this says it all: > > "Ninety percent of the remaining students are African-American, with more than > 7 out of 10 students coming from families living below the official poverty > level." > > > -----Ursprüngliche Nachricht----- > Von: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Gesendet: Montag, 5. April 2004 11:37 > An: Katrin Richter; 313@hyperreal.org > Betreff: RE: (313) Detroit schools to cut 3,200 jobs > > so the simple thing is to invest :) > > I know we all have a soft spot for Detroit and so I am be a little biased here > but is it me > or is detroit picked on? I think they should if they ae doing cut backs, use > the money to invest in the city > not make matters worse.. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Katrin Richter [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Mon 05/04/2004 09:49 > To: 313@hyperreal.org > Cc: > Subject: (313) Detroit schools to cut 3,200 jobs > > > > I guess this is on topic as school was the only place to hook up for > Derrick, Kevin and Juan as there was nowhere else to go > > Detroit schools to cut 3,200 jobs > By Jerry Isaacs > 3 April 2004 > Use this version to print | Send this link by email | Email the author > Detroit Public Schools officials announced Thursday the district would > lay > off 3,200 school employees, including 900 teachers, by July 1. The job > cuts, > which amount to 13 percent of the workforce, are in response to a > budget > shortfall of $78 million last year and a projected deficit of $91 > million in > 2005, officials say. > The cuts in the $1.5 billion budget follow an announcement last month > that > an additional 450 administrators could lose their jobs. The district, > which > already faces chronic overcrowding in the classrooms, also plans to > shut at > least three schools, in addition to the 16 closed or consolidated last > year. > The budget for supplies and purchased services will be cut by more than > one-third to save $50 million, with funding for playground improvements > slashed from $1 million to $250,000. > The layoffs will wreak havoc, particularly for teachers who are already > short-handed and stretched to the limit. "You could see a gym teacher > who is > certified in kindergarten through six grade become a homeroom teacher, > or an > instrumental teacher might have to go back to the classroom," district > spokesman Mario Morrow said. > Kenneth Burnley, CEO of the Detroit Public Schools, said he also plans > to > renegotiate the district's contract with the Detroit Federation of > Teachers > in order reduce or eliminate 3-4 percent annual raises that teachers > are > due. > The 151,000-student school district-the largest in the state-has been > hit > hard by federal and state budget cuts, the ongoing loss of > manufacturing > jobs and tax revenue in Michigan, rising fuel costs and a decline in > enrollment. Over the last eight years nearly 30,000 students have > transferred to charter, private and suburban schools. Ninety percent of > the > remaining students are African-American, with more than 7 out of 10 > students > coming from families living below the official poverty level. > Facing a $1 billion state deficit, Michigan's Democratic governor > Jennifer > Granholm and the state legislature are cutting per-pupil grants for > K-12 > education by $55 per student and revising the formula for counting > pupils in > schools, in order to slash another $43 million from state spending for > schools. In the proposed state budget, Detroit could also lose another > $15 > million it has been receiving since the state took over the district in > 1999. On Wednesday the state senate also rejected a plan that would > have > given extra money to districts with declining enrollments. > Because of stagnating or falling revenue school districts throughout > Michigan are facing budget cuts and layoffs. According to Tom White, > executive director of the Michigan School Business officials, 90 > percent of > state districts are planning to lay off staff or not fill open > positions. > "It's like getting squeezed by a python," he said, the "pressure just > is > increasing as time goes by. It is going to get ugly and I don't hear a > great > deal of concern being raised in [the state capital] Lansing." > Like other districts nationwide, Detroit schools are also threatened by > the > provisions of the Bush administration's 2001 federal education plan, > the > so-called No Child Left Behind Act, which removes federal funds if > districts > fail to achieve specific academic goals. One quarter of the district's > schools have already been warned they must overhaul their operations > because > of "chronic failure." The school district received a federal reading > grant > of nearly $6.5 million in August but continued funding hinges on > 1st-through-8th and 10th-graders passing tests at the end of the school > year. The budget cutbacks announced Thursday all but ensure future > failures, > guaranteeing even more devastating budget cuts. > "We don't need any more cuts," said Mary, a longtime Detroit school bus > driver. "What is going to happen to the kids with special needs, the > disabled and impaired students? We heard they plan to take away the bus > attendants that help us in the busses with handicapped students. This > is > outrageous. > "The conditions are already unbearable in the schools. Buildings are > falling > apart, there is no toilet paper or soap in the bathrooms, the > classrooms are > overcrowded and the teachers are spending money out of their own > pockets for > supplies. These budget cuts are taking the future away from our kids. > With > the casinos downtown making millions and CEOs are raking it in how can > they > say there is no money for schools? > "You know the economy is way down when you start taking away from > schools > that are already hurting. How can you talk about 'No Child Left Behind' > when > you are laying off teachers?" > See Also: > Detroit school employees march against layoffs > [22 February 2002] > Detroit school restructuring plan attacks workers and students > [17 April 2001] > http://www.wsws.org/articles/2004/apr2004/detr-a03.shtml > > > > > > >
