What's inside the new DPS teachers' contract? - KMSP-TV

"The emergency manager chose the path of least resistance and simply said I'm not going to negotiate because I don't have to," said Detroit Federation of Teachers President Keith Johnson.  "It's not a collective bargaining agreement.  It wasn't bargained, and it's not an agreement."

He would usually be the one to present the newest contract for his teachers to see, but Johnson says he won't do the dirty work of presenting it.

Roy Roberts, the emergency manager for the schools, ordered it into effect this week. Negotiations were not a part of the deal, although the two sides did discuss.

In the end, here's a look at some of what's in the document.  We'll begin with the amount of
time teachers have in between classes to prepare.  The amount of prep time for teachers goes down from five daily prep periods a week to two.

Already, Johnson says, prep periods are the first things teachers lose.

"If indeed they ever get it because so often they have to lose their prep period in order to cover for a teacher who's absent.  So, that teacher could conceivably end up with no prep periods, and that has an adverse effect upon our students."

Also new in the contract, teachers injured at the hands of students on school property
are used to being able to keep their salary and maintain benefits while they're off and
recovering.  Now, Johnson says injured teachers would only get workers compensation.

Another part that Johnson says is so terrible and egregious is the fact that people who are on military leave for more than a year won't be protected under the new contract.

"So conceivably, if we have a teacher who is over and deployed in Afghanistan or anywhere else for two years, he or she does not have the certainty that when they return their job will be here waiting for them."

Another part that changes to help the district shave $72-million of deficit is maternity leave.  Under the new contract, it would be limited to just twelve weeks.

Fox 2 has spoken with Steve Wasko, a spokesperson for the Detroit Public Schools.  He says they won't comment on the specifics of what's inside the contract.