Detroit Public Schools' teachers move to oust union president

Gina Damron & Chastity Pratt Dawsey:

On the heels of the Detroit Federation of Teachers approving a contract agreement with Detroit Public Schools, an effort to oust the union president is heating up.

Union members said Saturday they've nearly collected the 1,000 signatures needed to force a re-vote on Keith Johnson -- a driving force behind the new contract, which requires most union members to defer $10,000 in pay and calls for wide-ranging school reforms.

"We're not going to accept this," Heather Miller, a math teacher at Marquette Elementary School, said Saturday, adding that a grievance has been filed over the voting process, including alleged flawed voter rosters and what those who filed the grievance consider wrongly placing information on the ballot about the dangers of a no vote. She said a hearing date on the grievance has not yet been set.

"This is about the future of Detroit; the future of our school district," she said.

Posted by Jim Zellmer at December 20, 2009 2:33 AM
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