<p>A widespread &#8220;sick day&#8221; shut down more than 90 Detroit Public Schools (DPS) this Monday as educators protested Saturday&rsquo;s announcement that the district will be unable to pay them after June 30th. ;</p>
<p>The district enrolls roughly 46,000 students across 97 schools. This Monday, the Detroit Federation of Teachers urged the area&rsquo;s 2,600 teachers to call in sick. Nearly all of the area&#8217;s schools were forced to close. ;</p>
<p>About two-thirds of those 2,600 teachers are enrolled in a plan that ;allows for year-round paychecks (instead of just during the school year). This weekend, DPS &#8220;emergency manager&#8221; Judge Steve Rhodes informed the union ;that unless the Michigan Legislature decides to send more money to the district, there will not be enough money to fulfill summer paychecks.</p>
<p>All summer classes will also be cancelled. ;</p>
<p>Teachers argue that the $48.7 million allocated by the state&rsquo;s Legislature in April was supposed to cover summer pay for enrolled teachers. Rhodes denies this. ;</p>
<p>Detroit teachers are right to protest the state&rsquo;s lack of funds, but doing so by forcing schools to shut down doesn&#8217;t make much sense. In regards to the massive sick day, Governor Rick Snyder says, &ldquo;That&rsquo;s not a constructive act with respect to getting legislation through. That probably raises more questions&hellip;with legislators.&rdquo; ;</p>
<p>DPS has an operating deficit of more than $500 million. The Michigan House of Representatives is currently debating a $715 million education reform package to keep the beleaguered district afloat. The Michigan Senate approved the package in March. ;</p>
<p><strong>Editor&#8217;s note:</strong> The city of Detroit is a shambles.  ;Its population has been declining rapidly now less than a third of its peak, its industry is gone, crime is sky high, and whole neighborhoods have been abandoned. It is the very model of urban decay.  ;Is it a coincidence, that Detroit has been under Democratic mayors for more than 50 years?</p>
<p>This is a vicious cycle, it will get worse. The people of Detroit seem unable to elect a competent mayor, and they are waiting for the State to bail them out.</p>
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