Roberts To Rescind DPS Layoffs, Make Schools Safer
DETROIT (WWJ) - Detroit Public School teachers should receive notice this week about the status of their employment with the district.
DPS Emergency Manager Roy Roberts said he will begin rescinding teacher layoffs this week. Faced with a $327 million budget deficit, Detroit Public Schools proposed a budget plan that cuts 853 district jobs and $231 million in expenses.
"This week, as many as we need," said Roberts. "We're working feverishly to try and preclude what happened last year and I feel pretty good about it. Our energy is about educating kids."
Roberts met with City Council on Tuesday. He said he hopes to partner with city governments, City Council and the Mayor.
"Safety is a major issue," said Roberts. "The mayor and I have had a couple of conversations about that and the governor have had a couple of conversations about it. We're going to put on a full-court press to let parents and students know that we're going to try and create a safe environment for them to go to school."
Roberts told City Council 45,000 young people live in Detroit and attend school out of the district because of safety concerns.
WWJ Newsradio 950's Florence Walton reports all of the teachers, DPS and other staff members were issued layoff notices at the end of the previous school year. Last year, many classrooms were without permanent teachers for weeks because the previous Emergency Manager, Robert Bobb, ignored union warnings and failed to rescind teacher layoffs in a timely manner.
