An illegal sickout by members of the union that represents teachers in Detroit Public Schools shut down 94 of the district’s 97 schools Monday. Last weekend, the official appointed to be the district’s transition manager said it only has enough money to operate until the end of the current school year in June.
Teacher LaShawn Pope told the Detroit News that she has a master’s degree and signed up for 26 paychecks this year, not 22. “Before taxes, I bring home $1,400 every two weeks, so $1,400 times four checks is what I stand to lose before taxes,” Pope is quoted as saying.
ForTheRecord says: The arithmetic on Pope’s remarks works out to an annual salary of $36,400. According to a state of Michigan database, however, Pope was paid $45,014 during the 2014-15 fiscal year. The average Detroit Public Schools teacher earned $63,716 that year.
Michigan Capitol Confidential is the news source produced by the Mackinac Center for Public Policy. Michigan Capitol Confidential reports with a free-market news perspective.
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