Fed up Detroit Public School teachers are likely to continue to stage more sickouts next week in protest of deplorable school conditions after the Michigan Court of Claims denied the school system’s request to file a temporary restraining order to block the protests.

Though the Detroit Federation of Teachers commended the ruling, the school system has another hearing schedule for this upcoming Monday and therefore another shot to get the order.

Leader of the sickout movement, former DFT president Steve Conn, urged teachers to continue the absences this Monday in order to attend/protest the hearing.

Last week’s sickouts saw as many as 88 Detroit public schools closed; the district has about 100 public schools in total. News stations had more luck listing what schools were open as opposed to what schools were closed.

"In the one-page order, Court of Claims Judge Cynthia Diane Stephens said she denied the request because DPS failed to meet the requirements of a court rule related to temporary restraining orders that are requested without notice to the other party,” said The Detroit Free Press.

The DFT, one of 28 defendants named in the suit, was not served notice of the suit, the article said.

"The district's lawsuit has alleged that the cumulative effect of multiple sick-outs is the loss of at least seven instructional days. Other damages cited include students deprived of their school breakfasts and lunches, parents forced to miss work, nonstriking DPS employees forced to miss work and waste of taxpayer money,” The Detroit Free Press said.

But despite district claims that teachers are hurting the students they should be serving, many teachers have argued that the learning conditions students are exposed to on a daily basis hurts them more.

One teacher told CNN that Detroit teachers have an “abusive relationship” with school officials where they “stay for the kids.”

Article by Nicole Gorman, Education World Contributor

1/22/2016