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[Prompto]

Detroit's beleaguered school system was hit with a lawsuit by the teachers union Thursday, calling for the removal of the district's emergency manager and accusing officials of allowing the conditions at schools "to deteriorate to the point of crisis."

The lawsuit, filed in Wayne County Circuit Court, is the union's latest salvo against a 46,000-student school system beset by teacher sickouts over decrepit facilities, overcrowding, insufficient maintenance and other issues. It asks the court to order immediate repairs for conditions that are relegating "children to spend their young lives in deplorable surroundings" and requests the creation of a capital plan to bring schools up to standard.

"Teachers are working their hearts and souls out," said Randi Weingarten, president of the 1.6 million-member American Federation of Teachers.

"How dare we tell children that they need to also work their hearts and souls out and then provide them with schools that are deplorable in terms of their conditions? ... What message is it sending to kids about what we're saying to them about their education?"


In a statement released by the school system, Earley said the State Legislature is considering a "badly needed, districtwide long-term capital improvement plan," and vowed to perform repairs at buildings identified by inspections ordered this month by Mayor Mike Duggan.

"We are committed to ensuring that our students and staff have a safe working and learning environment, and that is a part of the discussion regarding the critical financial investment into the new Detroit Public School System that is before the Michigan Legislature," the statement said.

Thursday's complaint offers a disturbing portrait of a school system with rodent-infested school buildings that are crumbling, damaged by water and pockmarked with black mold.

"There are unrepaired bullet holes, exposed wires, and boarded-up windows," the complaint said.

"Heating systems are in such disrepair that many classrooms have temperatures below freezing or above 90º. Technology schools without Internet. It is not a surprise that due to this, and other reasons, including budget cuts and mismanagement, that DPS is dead last in academic performance with a majority of its students being left behind the rest of the country."

More at the link

Some pictures from Detroit Schools:

 

[BY2K]

Oh God, the mushrooms...

 

[qcf x2]

Shit, that is unacceptable in America. I mean, it's acceptable but it shouldn't be. Hazardous urinals? wtf

 

[Hip Hop]

Shit, that last picture is stuff you see in third world countries.

This should be unacceptable.

 

[The Llama]

The whole state of Michigan is a lost cause tbh.

 

[Hellwarden]

When pictures of a school in America could mistaken for pictures of a nice building in Chernobyl, then you done fucked up.

 

[Beardz]

Looks like Pripyat.

 

[Dandy Crocodile]

Maybe this'll help things improve in the school system.

I can hope.

Spoiler

Kinda ready to get the hell out of Michigan.

 

[Gentleman Jack]

Rick Snyder's legacy

 

[commedieu]

USA!
USA!

 

[Plinko]

The whole state of Michigan is a lost cause tbh.

This is true. GOP state legislature for years and it won't ever change again. The state is screwed.

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

And people fucking wonder why better funded school systems have higher test scores.

There are fucking prison facilities in better conditions.

 

[Zoe]

That looks horrible. But do they even have the resources to address these issues?

 

[Jeffolation]

I think I explored that school in Fallout 4.

 

[Guevara]

I remember that level in Fallout.

I think I explored that school in Fallout 4.

what that guy said

 

[RCSI]

Scrolling past this wall of text, I see someone suck into a dilapidated school building and took pictures of the conditions.


Fake edit:

Wait, your telling me people actually use those buildings daily!?

 

[ItIsOkBro]

Looks like TLoU. Down to the random obstacles blocking stairs and everything.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

I work in Michigan schools (though not Detroit specifically) and run across a lot of old buildings with lots of health hazards. We can't even hang pictures in some buildings due to nailing or drilling a hole causing a dust of asbestos or lead paint and what not. It even prevents repairs in some rooms, meaning they just quarantine off the area. A lot of places can't shut down or afford to get the required professionals into the building to remove the hazards so that repairs can be done. It's such a mess that shouldn't be happening to begin with.

 

[ehretreue.m.h]

This is true. GOP state legislature for years and it won't ever change again. The state is screwed.

So, what now?

 

[Dennis]

This is how it starts, Ellie.

 

[CygnusXS]

But it's the culture of poverty that keeps black communities down!!

/rolls eyes

 

[entremet]

Those mushrooms are freaky.

How does that happen?

 

[PeakPointMatrix]

Looks like TLoU. Down to the random obstacles blocking stairs and everything.

Hell the bathrooms in TLoU look cleaner.

 

[Fox318]

I almost feel like with Detroit that the only way to fix it is to completely burn it to the ground and start from scratch.

 

[Korigama]

That looks horrible. But do they even have the resources to address these issues?

Nope. DPS has been mismanaged for years, and is $3.5 billion in debt.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Those mushrooms are freaky.

How does that happen?

Moisture from leaky roofs or pipes.

 

[OrlanisWorks]

GOP-controlled state? No surprises there.

 

[Suikoguy]

Those mushrooms are freaky.

How does that happen?

They are creeping me out.

 

[Dennis]

I wonder if they are edible.

 

[entremet]

Moisture from leaky roofs or pipes.

Does mold become mushrooms?

 

[NoblesseOblige]

Does mold become mushrooms?

Fungus loves moisture. It's why it's so common in bathrooms.

 

[Bgamer90]

That's insane. I would honestly rather go to a third world country shack school in comparison to this.

At least I wouldn't be around so many hazards. Goodness.

 

[Borinot]

is the country of oportunities for the mushrooms too.

 

[Tugatrix]

And I used to complain about the cold classrooms. Damn this is unacceptable conditions

 

[NoblesseOblige]

I almost feel like with Detroit that the only way to fix it is to completely burn it to the ground and start from scratch.

Cass Tech high school in Detroit actually built an entirely new school across the street because it was the better option than fixing the old. One of the buildings owned by a school I work for is now sitting abandoned because the district can't afford to remove all the lead and asbestos from it.

The old Cass is in the foreground with the new in the back.

 

[gdt]

Oh my god those mushrooms.

At least they come in useful in science class. Show the kids real mushrooms.

 

[Ferrio]

After seeing those pictures how could they lose?

 

[Suikoguy]

Oh my god those mushrooms.

At least they come in useful in science class. Show the kids real mushrooms.

Field Trip to the Restroom!

 

[How About No]

This is clearly part of Detroit's prestigious gymnast program. Their exclusive training-staircase. It all adds up: The mats for landing, the rail for vaulting...wait why is there actually a handrail dividing the staircase that's weird.

Also whoever said The Last of Us had cleaner environments wasn't exaggerating...

 

[Korigama]

Cass Tech high school in Detroit actually built an entirely new school across the street because it was the better option than fixing the old. One of the buildings owned by a school I work for is now sitting abandoned because the district can't afford to remove all the lead and asbestos from it.

The old Cass is in the foreground with the new in the back.

Furthermore, the old Cass was demolished back in 2011 after a large fire inside the building in 2007. Having attended while the new one was still in the very early stages of construction, I can vouch for the crumminess of the old building.

 

[Arizato]

Mushrooms growing in places like these freak me out and I can't for the love of me figure out why. I just get a really icky feeling seeing it like that.

 

[How About No]

Mushrooms growing in places like these freak me out and I can't for the love of me figure out why. I just get a really icky feeling seeing it like that.

Well seeing that it's not hard to imagine what it's like inside the walls...

 

[Dai101]

what the fuck ..............

 

[diablos991]

So will school system money be going to lawyer fees now to deal with the lawsuit?

 

[Arizato]

Well seeing that it's not hard to imagine what it's like inside the walls...

For the love of... You just had to do it, didn't you?

I think I have just figured out my phobias: Mushrooms growing excessively inside buildings that are meant for everyday indoor activities and deep-sea fish.

 

[NoblesseOblige]

So will school system money be going to lawyer fees now to deal with the lawsuit?

A lot of school funding is grant based, and limits the spending to what that specific grant is for. For example, I'm part of a technology grant negotiation that would net a couple ten grand to be used exclusively for updating the infrastructure between buildings. I'm not completely sure how the whole lawsuit thing works but I assume it's calculated into administrative fees or something. Haven't actually gone through any of my schools being sued, though we did just force out a superintendent recently and had to pay her a hefty severance fee (talking over 100k) to prevent her from trying to take future legal action.

 

[Rebel Leader]

I think I explored that school in Fallout 4.

Maybe

 

[Trojita]

At least they are providing free food

Spoiler

This is fucking awful.

Mushrooms growing in places like these freak me out and I can't for the love of me figure out why. I just get a really icky feeling seeing it like that.

Possibly a baser instinct of humanity that is telling you that staying their as a dwelling is not a good idea.

 

[injurai]

Can Detroit Jank be a thing now?

 

[LegalEagleMike]

Just give the city to OCP.