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Tuesday, September 12, 2006
William F. Coleman III, superintendent of the Detroit Public Schools, issued the following statement about the tentative agreement reached early this morning with the Detroit Federation of Teachers:
“This is a great day for the city of Detroit. It is a great day for the Detroit Public Schools system. Above all, it is a great day for our children.
As you know, at the request of Mrs. Janna Garrison, representatives of the DFT and the Detroit Public Schools met all night in the mayor’s office before reaching this tentative three-year collective bargaining agreement.
I want to take this opportunity to thank Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick for putting his formidable facilitation skills at our disposal.
I also want to salute the other community leaders whose invaluable help made it possible for us to be here today. Over the last several weeks, the Rev. Wendell Anthony, president of the Detroit Branch NAACP, and members of the Council of Baptist Pastors, particularly Rev. Oscar King and Rev. Sam Bullock, gave generously of their time. Their skills as clergymen, as counselors and mediators made a huge difference in the negotiations.
Finally, I wish to thank our customers – our parents, guardians and students – for their patience during this labor dispute. I want to assure you that our commitment to academic excellence remains unwavering. We have a great school year ahead of us. To those customers who left us during this crisis, we urge you to come back home to DPS. Come back home to our world class academic and extra-curricular programs. You will not be disappointed.”
NOTE TO REPORTERS AND EDITORS: Details of the settlement will be disclosed after it has been voted on by members of the DFT.
About the Detroit Public Schools
The Detroit Public Schools, founded in 1842, is one of the nation’s largest public school systems. Detroit Public Schools is a school district of choice and is open to children who live outside the city. The District offers numerous competitive academic and career technical programs.
Among these world-class programs are the Foreign Language Immersion and Cultural Studies School, Michigan’s only public school of its kind; Davis Aerospace, one of few college prep high schools in the country where students can obtain a pilot’s license; the Detroit School of the Arts, a multiple award winning performing arts high school; and Crockett Technical High School, a digital technology high school.
For more information about the District, visit our website at www.detroitk12.org.
