Another Teacher 'Sickout' Closes 5 Schools In Detroit

DETROIT (WWJ/AP) - Mass teacher sickouts are continuing in Detroit, this time closing five schools on Wednesday.

The Detroit Public Schools said Durfee Elementary-Middle, Keidan Special Education Center, Mason Academy, Ronald Brown Academy and Schulze Academy for Technology and Arts will be closed Wednesday "due to a high number of teacher absences."

[FULL LIST OF SCHOOL CLOSINGS]

The schools have a combined enrollment of about 2,300 students.

Two dozen schools were closed Tuesday and more than 60 schools were closed Monday because of teacher sickouts. Teachers are upset over class sizes, pay, the condition of buildings and a plan by Gov. Rick Snyder to deal with millions of debt by creating a new district.

Mayor Mike Duggan took a tour of some Detroit public schools Tuesday amid the wide-spread teacher sickout. He called the conditions, including kids wearing winter coats inside just to stay warm, "heartbreaking."

"Our children need our teachers in the classroom. … But there's no question about the legitimacy of the issues that they're raising," Duggan said. "We've seen a couple of school buildings that are well-maintained and then saw some conditions that were deeply disturbing, including a school where the children have no gym class because the gym floor is buckled from roof leaks."

Duggan pledged to quickly come up with a plan to improve the condition of the buildings.

DPS has been under state oversight since 2009.

TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.