DETROIT (WXYZ) — Detroit teachers have a laundry list of demands as they head into negotiations Friday.
The Detroit superintendent shot down interview requests after a tense Board of Education meeting and that set a stage for some stiff negotiations.
On Wednesday, they couldn't even get the typical Board of Education meeting going.
Detroit teachers say their pay needs to change, adding it factors into the oversized classrooms -- negotiations happen on Friday, and the latest face-to-face with the School Board shows the sides are far apart. Our story next on @wxyzdetroit pic.twitter.com/9pzqCN69Pz
— Matthew Smith (@MattSmithWXYZ) May 15, 2019
"I have asked you not to have outbursts so we can have our meeting," said a woman at the gathering.
That was the type of atmosphere 7 Action News saw at Tuesday night's meeting – the superintendent and others were cut-off. But teachers made it clear that they want more.
Ahead of our 6a live on @wxyzdetroit, I wanted to show you a raw clip from the latest @Detroitk12 School Board meeting... you can hear the @DFT231 union folks standing behind the speaker -- gives a good idea of where things lie ahead of Friday's negotiations. @aftmichigan pic.twitter.com/LmldaBMzFk
— Matthew Smith (@MattSmithWXYZ) May 15, 2019
Among the top demands we're hearing right now:
- Higher pay
- A better student to teacher, smaller classroom sizes
- Ability for teachers to set their own curriculum in circumstances
After years of promises, parents are fed up to, and they're siding with teachers.
"I am tired of you all coming in for five years...getting rich and leaving our kids in the dirt," one parent said.
While there's tension, the superintendent told teachers this week that he believes they deserve the highest pay in the country. But after continuous back-and-forth, he was the first to bring up issues within their schools, ranging from students that had been hit to parents being disrespected.
Stay with 7 Action News on-air and online as we follow teacher negotiations this week.
