An unusually large number of teachers calling in sick closed a Detroit high school Tuesday, keeping more than 2,400 students out of class. What illness afflicted so many teachers that school couldn’t go on? Malcontentedness.
Understaffing, idle wages and the rising costs of health insurance were among the reasons teachers organized a “sickout” to intentionally close the school, reports the Detroit News. The sickout is just one of at least five sickouts this school year in Detroit Public Schools. Combined, at least 5,500 students have been kept out of school for a day because of teacher sickouts.
The school district has ongoing investigations into teachers involved in the previous sickouts. “We don’t disagree with people’s right to protest. However, what we do disagree with is when these protests take away instructional time from our students,” the school district said in a statement from spokeswoman Michelle Zdrodowski.
“To deny students their opportunity to learn in the interest of making a political statement should go against every principle a teacher holds important, and sends a terrible message to the very students to whom they are supposed to serve as role models … Students should not be taught that it’s OK to shirk their responsibilities, which is the message the teachers who call in sick — without truly being sick — are sending to their students.”
One teacher, who said she supported the sickout but wouldn’t admit to being involved, told the Detroit News she hopes teachers aren’t villainized over the sickout.
Jason Russell is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
